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.

“It’s fun because they remember it,” GIFD Safety Inspector Randy Mendyk said. “That’s our whole goal. It’s to have them remember what they did and how they got out of the house.”

While the annual visits are catered toward the students, the presentations are known to even draw the interest of teachers over the years.

“The equipment has changed from even when I was a kid,” said Jayson Gregory, a Stolley Park Elementary 2nd Grade Teacher. “It’s amazing to see what they’re capable of and how quickly they’re able to respond.”