Members of the Perry Volunteer Fire Department gave a short course in the properties of fire and the ins and outs of firefighting Wednesday morning when they visited the Perry Arts and Cultural Enrichment Services (PACES) classes at the Perry Elementary School.
PVFD Fire Captain Andy Modlin and PVFD Lieutenant Rodney Cromwell led the exercise in public education and outreach to three PACES classes, starting with the gathered kindergartners and first graders.
The youngsters seemed enthralled by the pumper truck and the bunker gear.
“This gives us a chance to show kids some of the tools of our trade, like the hoses and ladders and axes,” Modlin said. “We show them the truck and let them explore it. They just love it.”
He said the first and second graders also got half-an-hour of basic fire science, with explanations of how fire acts and why we are told to stay close to the floor in a fire.
“One of the benefits of the program,” Cromwell said, “is that now these kids will never be afraid of a firefighter when they see one decked out in all our gear.”
