October 11, 2005
Albany-- This is Fire Prevention Week. Albany firefighters put on clown suits and sang and danced for more than 4,000 students Tuesday, to teach them Fire Safety.
Firefighters go all out to grab the students' attention, and teach them a life-saving lesson. Firefighter Bernadette Wilson said "Little kids catch on better when someone is dressed up as a clown."
Talking matches and dancing smoke alarms grab the kids attention. Firefighter Whitney Williams said "When you go out to talk to kids sometimes, it's better to interact with them, so they get the big picture."
This is the Albany firefighters' 11th Annual Kids Fire Safety Day. Students, 4 to 7 years old from six Southwest Georgia counties, packed the Civic Center.
The firefighters wrote the songs and show themselves this year. Wilson said "I'm very proud of it. This is our first time doing this on our own, without using anyone else's skits."
The theme of this year's fire safety show is use candles with care. Williams said "When you go out, blow it out. So that's what we're teaching them, and they seem to be a good job with listening."
Stop, drop, and roll, and the 911 emergency number were also important lessons from the firefighters. This show could save the life of one of these students, and that makes all the clowning around worth it. Wilson said "I'm thinking this year is going to have a better impact than any other year."
These firefighters enjoy making the children laugh, but they hope their message keeps them safe in case of fire.
Georgia Fire Safety Commissioner John Oxendine was one of the guests at the Albany Firefighters Kids Safety Day.
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