Students in grades 3-5 at Forest Lake were asked to start sleeping with their bedroom door closed as a safety tip during the Wantagh Fire Department Fire Prevention Assembly as they were given many helpful tips and tools to stay safe in the event of a fire.  The students were fully engaged with many questions helping them to remain safe in the event of a fire. 

After watching a short video, they learned how important it is to keep “fuel” away from hot spots like candles and the kitchen stove where over half of house fires begin. They learned that fuel can be any type of paper, furniture, curtains, towels, lamps and improper light bulbs causing a fire to grow. Additionally, students were reminded not to use the kitchen when an adult is not home to supervise.

The Wantagh Fire Department spokesperson shared that the best thing students can learn about fire is how to prevent one from happening in the first place. A few more lessons were to never touch or play with lighters, keep gutters cleared of leaves, de-clutter the basement, and test the fire alarm monthly.

After the presentation and video, each class continued their safety lesson as they experienced the “smoke house” which emulated a house fire without actual flames. One by one, students from Ms. Sandurs third grade class yelled “Help!” before climbing out of the window to safety.

“We had to crawl on the floor and feel the door to see if it was hot,” said one student. “It was hot and then we had to go into the window and we had to open the window.” Another student shared, “I learned that whenever there’s a fire, you drop down on the ground.”