Chanukah fire safety big hit with HALB kids

Chanukah is just around the corner, and the second most popular answer you get when asking children what they do on Chanukah — after getting presents of course — is that they light the chanukiah.

What better way to start our holiday preparations than learning about fire safety.

Firefighters Jason, Ari and Evan of the Woodmere Volunteer Fire Department, drove into the HALB Lev Chana Early Childhood Center parking lot in their shiny red pumper truck (which holds lots of water). 

Speaking with two classes at a time in the back play room, Firefighter Jason Hagler reviewed basic safety rules with our children — call 911 in an emergency, don’t go near fire (with a special emphasis made on candles), and if your clothes catch fire then stop, drop, cover your eyes and roll. He called on several enthusiastic assistants from among the children to help demonstrate the lifesaving concepts he was teaching.

One question that stumped the children and morot was, “When firefighters get dressed what do they put on first?” If you said boots, then you were right! A vital message that Firefighter Jason kept reiterating over and over again is that firefighters are our friends even though they may look scary in their special clothing and equipment, especially the mask.

As Firefighters Ari and Evan demonstrated the sequence of donning clothing and equipment, Firefighter Jason repeatedly asked the question, “Are firefighters our friends?” “Do we run to them or away from them?” “Can firefighters help us?” “Do we ever hide from a firefighter?”

He wanted the children to understand and internalize the fact that in an emergency the firefighters are our friends and they will protect us.

The firefighters, in full gear, went around hi-fiving the children, talking and joking with them to show that they were the same people as before and the children need not be afraid. From our children’s perspective, the best part came at the end when they went outside and excitedly peeked into the many compartments on the sides of the pumper truck which were full of additional equipment the firefighters need as part of their job, and then they actually got to climb into the fire truck with their friends.

As Firefighters Jason, Ari and Evan drove away, they reminded us to keep safe and wished us a Happy Chanukah.