Learning that firefighters are their friends

Meadowmere Park volunteer firefighter Jason Hagler held more than a few children who attend the (HASC) in Woodmere spellbound with his entertaining talk and demonstration at the school’s Fire Truck Day on May 23.

Hagler, with help from Meadowmere colleague Hudi Schiffer, showed the children the equipment that firefighters use, including the axe, the oxygen tank and mask.

Repeating the phrase “firefighters are our friends” to the children, Hagler took the serious subject of fighting fires and made it fun for the kids.

Despite its name and beginnings — it was found by Orthodox Jews on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1964 — HASC, which has six locations serving over 1.100 children — is nonsectarian.

The Woodmere school takes in children between the ages of 3 to 9 from Nassau County and New York City that have a variety of developmental delays, including speech and motor skills, along with kids on the autism spectrum. There is also a pre-school for typically developing (mainstream) children ages 3 to 5.

Each class has a certified special education and at least two assistant teachers. Physical, occupational and speech therapy is provide, along with counseling services.

HASC in Woodmere has been in its Woodmere Boulevard location for the past 20 years. Before that it operated out of three different sites in Rosedale, Valley Stream and Elmont.