MORGANTOWN — Fire Prevention Week has arrived and the Morgantown Fire Department will teach area children about important sounds of which to be aware.
The MFD is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association for this year’s campaign, ‘Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety’, which will be held from Oct. 3-9. Throughout the week, firefighters will share tips on how to recognize different alarm sounds and important actions to take to stay safe.
“We try to get those fire safety messages in front of the kids as much as possible, in hopes that they’ll retain that information as they get older and make wise fire safety decisions,” said Andrew Dotson, MFD deputy fire marshal and public education coordinator.
More than 10,000 educational items will be distributed to county school systems throughout the week. Kindergarten through second graders will receive coloring books and stickers, third through fifth graders will receive pencils, and teachers will be provided with dry erase marker kits, lanyards, pens and highlighters.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the department has worked to find alternatives to their typical teaching methods. Dotson said members of the fire department will hold activities and lessons through Zoom and will release pre-recorded videos with segments about fire safety.
“Fire safety affects you every second of your life,” Dotson said. “If you’re not keeping that in the front of your brain at all times, devastation— even death — could occur. Not trying to be doom and gloom, but we try to get out there and we really try to push our messaging to the children because they’re sponges right now, and they just absorb everything that we teach them.”
Typically, an annual puppet show is held at University High School, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, it has been canceled for the second year. By next year, Ken Tennant, MFD fire marshal, said the department hopes to bring the popular show back.
“We’re gonna do some special next year,” he said. “We don’t know what yet, but if we are allowed to have the puppet shows, it’s gonna be something special because we’ve missed two years having our big shows.”
Free smoke alarms and free carbon monoxide alarms will also be available throughout Fire Prevention Week. Any Morgantown residents interested in receiving one can reach Dotson via phone at 304-906-5642.
Additional information about Fire Prevention Week and general fire prevention can be found by visiting www.fpw.org and www.sparky.org.
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