By LINDA KELLETT

C-S-E News Staff

(more images in the Seen section)

Squeals of delight rivaling the shrill shriek of a fire siren pierced the morning chill as Harry Hoag School pre-K and kindergarten students took turns manning hoses and riding in fire trucks during the Fort Plain Fire Department’s annual Fire Prevention safety presentation early this week.

Fort Plain firefighter Tyler Crewell was among those helping with the safety-oriented presentations Tuesday. He thought the highlight of the event for the plastic-helmeted youngsters was “spraying water at the fire truck.”

He said, “In the truck, they’re all having so much fun in there. They’re yelling. They’re loving it when the water sprays the truck. They’re all pretty much screaming.”

Firefighter Bill Ehrenreich, who was on the spraying end of the hose, said individual students took turns, trying to see who could get the stream of water to go the farthest.

Joe Hanifin, president of the volunteer department, said the firefighters’ primary objective during the safety presentations was “to keep [the students] interested, to keep it hands-on for them. Smaller kids like to be busy.”

As in other years, the presentation started during the pre-K to third-graders’ morning program.

Hanifin said a fireman came in with turnout gear and a Scott face mask, breathing air from a tank. “Some kids are afraid,” he said. “We tried to explain to them that the fireman is not a monster. They’re your friend.”

Topics addressed during the roughly 20-minute presentation included the dangers of playing with matches and reminders about replacing smoke detector batteries.

The importance of home fire drills and escape routes was also emphasized, and students were reminded to dial 911 in an emergency. Additionally, firefighters introduced the stop, drop and roll safety technique for extinguishing burning clothing.

What did the students learn as a result of their experience?

Chad Rogers, Taylor Hayes, Korbin Burrows, Katie Leroy and Chloee St. Louis, students in Casey Shults’ kindergarten class, had some interesting insights.

Chad, for instance, learned that fire trucks have horns.

Taylor learned that firefighters spray water to keep the fire away.

“Don’t get in a fire” was Korbin’s advice; and Katie said when there’s a fire, “Do not hide in a closet.”

Like their Fort Plain counterparts, St. Johnsville firefighters conducted fire safety presentations for elementary students at the D.H. Robbins School late last week.

St. Johnsville Fire Chief Tom Malley said that department’s program started with an assembly in the auditorium for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, then firefighters went to individual Head Start classes.

Kindergarteners were later treated to rides in the fire truck.

In addition to instruction and an opportunity to see firefighters in their full gear with air packs, Malley said students had an opportunity to ask questions.

One firefighter who was present for the school presentations said, “One kid asked what happened if you didn’t have any doors. [A firefighter] asked him, ‘How did you get in there in the first place?’” he recalled with a chuckle.

St. Johnsville also hosted a well attended open house Friday night. Malley said the annual open house provides an opportunity for residents to come to the fire house “to see what’s here.”

Rides in the fire truck are always popular with the youngsters.

“For a small town like this, it pretty much helps everybody know who everybody is,” he added.

Officer Phil “Curly” Brown noted the St. Johnsville department’s next community event will be held on Halloween night (Wednesday, Oct. 31) at the Youth Center beginning at 7 p.m. following trick-or-treating in the village.

Like other departments in the area, Malley said volunteers are needed and welcomed. To become a member, contact any firefighter, pick up an application, and turn it in. There is a background check, he added.

The department trains every Monday night. Fort Plain and Canajoharie departments meet and train on Tuesdays.

Canajoharie Fire Chief Frank Nestle said no school visits were held in that community this year because an attempt to get a sprinkler trailer from state fire officials didn’t materialize; however tours of the fire station for kindergarten classes were taking place.

Additionally, in order to educate the general public about fire safety, Nestle said department personnel set up a little information booth in the NBT Bank branch on Church Street.

He reminded area residents to change their smoke detector batteries and clean their chimneys.

After two years without any chimney fires, he said the Canajoharie department has already responded to one this season.

He said, “A little critter got in the chimney while the residents were gone and built a nest. They had smoke in the residence.”

Fortunately, no one got hurt.

Canajoharie firefighters are also emphasizing the planning of two escape routes. “That’s our big kick of the year,” he said, noting it should be done within households by family members.

Because there hasn’t been a lot of public participation in open house events over the last few years, Nestle said firefighters instead have concentrated on fire drills and walk-throughs of senior housing facilities and Liberty residences in the fire district. Those will be taking place over the next few weeks, he said.