Grand Island, Neb. ā For the past three weeks, the Grand Island Fire Department has been visiting area schools to offer up a few fire prevention tips.
The GIFD visits started on Monday, September 30 with stops at Howard Elementary School and Wasmer Elementary School before ending on Tuesday, October 15 with a morning stop at Lincoln Elementary School.
In total, the team at GIFD visited 16 schools to not only promote fire prevention, but also give the students an up-close look at the equipment they use when battling a fire. Students climbed into a fire truck, sat in the back of ambulance and even experienced a simulated house fire in the GIFD mobile unit.
āItās fun because they remember it,ā GIFD Safety Inspector Randy Mendyk said. āThatās our whole goal. Itās to have them remember what they did and how they got out of the house.ā
While the annual visits are catered toward the students, the presentations are known to even draw the interest of teachers over the years.
āThe equipment has changed from even when I was a kid,ā said Jayson Gregory, a Stolley Park Elementary 2nd Grade Teacher. āItās amazing to see what theyāre capable of and how quickly theyāre able to respond.ā