Fire Department and Safety

This week is Fire Prevention Week, and the Huntsville Fire Department is working to make sure that everyone remembers to check the batteries in their smoke alarm and review their fire safety plans. What people don’t necessarily know is that the Huntsville Fire Department is also about to unveil a new program for Huntsville children and youth focused on fire safety.

The Fire Department recently received a grant to purchase an interactive fire safety trailer to be used as a tool to teach groups of kids from the local schools. The trailer will include smoke and an interactive 911 station  to make it seem like the kids are in a fire, as well a computer based weather component that includes shaking to make it seem like kids are in a tornado. The Fire Department staff will then be able to teach the kids about how to react to a fire, and how the kids can “escape” the trailer.

This exercise relates to one of the “developmental assets” or building blocks for creating a healthy community for our kids. Planning and decision making is one of these assets, and the fire trailer instills the importance of planning and decision making by helping prepare youth for a potentially dangerous situation.  

Most people do not think of the Fire Department as a youth serving organization, and those people are probably right. However the efforts of the Department will save lives and will greatly benefit the youth of our community. They serve as a good example for all of us. Regardless of what groups we are involved with, we can all make a small but meaningful effort toward the cause of building a healthy community for our kids. We can make a difference, but it takes each and every one of us playing our part. The Fire Department is playing their part. Now it is our turn to ask what we can do.

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