Heating up with fire safety tips

It was ‘Stop, Drop and Teach’ today as the Marquette Township Fire Department took a time out to give kids from the YMCA’s Vandenboom Day Camp some important fire safety lessons.

Marquette Township fire officials rolled up their sleeves to give kids a first hand look at fire safety. Along with watching a fire video, campers got to see all the equipment fire fighters have to put on in just minutes time. The thermal imaging camera they use to locate people inside a burning structure fascinated each of its handlers.

“I learned a lot more things about fire safety and what I should do in case of a fire,” said Calli Snell, Y.M.C.A. Vandenboom Day Camp.

“I like the one that had eight wheels because it looked really cool,” said Mathew Marra, Y.M.C.A. Vandenboom Day Camp.

So cool that a closer inspection was needed for some. But the biggest draw came streaming in as the kids stood in awe.

“We want them to feel at ease and understand that in an emergency they can go to a firefighter so we won’t have to look for them,” said Robert Cochran, Fire Inspector/Firefighter, Marquette Township Fire Department.

“I got to see the ladder go up on a firetruck and I got to see how they sprayed water out of it, it was amazing to see how far it went,” continued Calli Snell, Y.M.C.A. Vandenboom Day Camp.

“It was fun because I got to see 8,000 gallons of water squirting out really fast,” said Abbi Snell, Y.M.C.A. Vandenboom Day Camp.

To top off the educational experience, kids were chauffeured back to Day Camp on a fire rescue truck and engine number four.