Ridge VFD was requested by The King’s Christian Academy to attend their summer Home Safety Camp to teach the campers about home fire safety and prevention. Ridge VFD Fire Prevention educators shared fire prevention and safety tips using our Fire Prevention Mobile Classroom (a.k.a., smoke trailer), and provided a tour of Engine 43. The campers were taught about fire origins, the difference between smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, and the “Sounds of Fire Safety”. The goal was to educate the children about the different sounds smoke and CO alarms make. Knowing what to do when an alarm sounds will keep you and your family safe. When an alarm makes noises – a beeping sound or a chirping sound – you must take action.

The children were also taught the importance of staying low to the ground when there is smoke in the home, how to check a room door for heat/high temperatures, and how to escape from a bedroom window equipped with a safety ladder. They really enjoyed getting to crawl on the ground and climb out the window!

After the mobile classroom lesson, the campers were given an up-close tour of Engine 43. Educators displayed tools and equipment from the various compartments and allowed the children to climb through the crew compartment. This was the highlight of the event!

A bonus for the campers was a show-and-tell by Corporals Jaime Davis and Kristi Nelson from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. The Deputies talked about the importance of calling 911 during emergencies and answered tons of questions from the children about different aspects of their police cruisers.

Following the tours, each child was given a goodie bag full of safety information, toys, and stickers from Ridge VFD and the Sheriff’s Office. In all, we educated 165 campers aged 4-8, with a few young adult camp counselors. It is never too young to start learning fire safety!