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Seaford kids stop, drop and learn

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A fire is a devastating situation no family ever wants to experience. If they do, it is likely that everyone will come out of it safely by following basic tips that are taught at a young age.

October is Fire Prevention Month across the country, and the Wantagh Fire Department marks the occasion by visiting several schools in the area. On Oct. 15, firefighters were at Seaford Harbor School, which is within the fire district, teaching fire safety skills. Among the topics covered were stop, drop and roll, the danger of matches and the importance of having an escape plan.

All students at the school took part in the various fire safety demonstrations. Marcela Loeber, a Wantagh firefighter and instructor, met with students in kindergarten, first and second grades. She taught the basics, and told children how to respond if a smoke detector in their home goes off. Check the door to see if it’s hot, she said, and know two ways out.

Loeber also showed the students a video, and put on her gear, to show them that underneath all that equipment is a person who wants to help.

Outside, children in third and fourth grades went in to the department’s fire safety trailer, also known as the smokehouse. Firefighters reinforced safety skills in two small simulated bedrooms. As the rooms filled with fake smoke and smoke detectors went off, children had to go feel the door. When it was hot, they crawled to the window, yelled for help, then were assisted out by firefighters.

Capt. John Licata of the Wantagh Fire Department coordinates the fire safety programs. He said the department has been doing school visits since the mid-1980s. This year, firefighters will visit eight schools in four districts, and reach upwards of 4,000 children.

“It’s hands on,” he said. “They actually see what it’s like to be in a safe environment and how to practice.”

Fourth-grader James Casazza, who went through the smokehouse, said he learned a lot from the firefighters. “They make it fun, and you get to learn about fire and what to do,” he said.

If the smoke detector goes off in his home during the middle of the night, he knows to crawl low to the door and feel it with the back of his hand. “If it’s hot,” he said, “don’t open it.”

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