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BLOOMINGTON — For students in Stacy Hornbacker's kindergarten class at Oakland Elementary School, Wednesday was a day to learn and have fun.
The Bloomington Fire Department visited the class that morning, using Fire Prevention Week as an opportunity to teach lessons in fire safety and encourage children to involve their families at home.
"(The students) see (firefighters) as idols at this age, but it's important for them to understand what their role is," said Hornbacker, who has worked at the school for 17 years. "When we get into more detail, we talk about how they can use what they learned with their families and be safe at home and at school."
In Illinois, Fire Prevention Week runs from Oct. 9-15, but locally it has become a time for the Bloomington and Normal fire departments to meet with area schools all month long.
Bloomington Fire Department Public Information Officer Frank Friend said that in the past two years they have focused their efforts on kindergarten and preschool classes.
Bloomington firefighter Tyler Eft, right, shows kindergartners, including Nathan Mabela, his gear on Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week at Oakland Elementary School. The students were in a class taught by Stacy Hornbacker.
The Bloomington and Normal fire departments reach about 2,000 students each across Unit 5 and District 87 schools, focusing on the use of 911 in emergencies and what do in a fire.
"When I was a kid, the phone hung on a wall," Friend said in an interview with the Pantagraph. "Now everybody has a cellphone, and mom and dad's phones are sometimes locked. You can still call 911 without unlocking the phone; however, there are several steps involved that a child needs to know before they dial that number."
Another important lesson revolves around having a fire escape plan and ensuring the plan considers the needs of everyone in the home, such as their physical abilities.
Friend said it is important for families to choose a safe place to meet after escaping a fire, and for children not to be afraid of firefighters when they see them dressed in their equipment.
"We use the analogy of superheroes and how Captain America doesn't always look like Captain America or Batman doesn't always look like Batman," Friend said. "So we got to put on that uniform or the costume or the disguise, but it's still the same person underneath there. We're here to help you, and there's no reason to be scared."
During visits with the fire department, students get to see a firefighter put on the equipment, then listen how their voice sounds and touch them with the equipment on.
Kindergartner Owen Meadors hold a jacket from firefighter Tyler Eft on Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week at Oakland Elementary School. The students were in a class taught by Stacy Hornbacker.
Normal Fire Department Public Information Officer Matt Swaney said they even conduct simulated house fires in their "Survive Alive" home, which teaches students how to react and put those fire safety lessons into practice.
In the simulation, as the home fills up with smoke, students must stay low while crawling out of a bedroom, then choose between two exits — either the bedroom door or the window. The door can heat up, letting students know that passage is blocked and directing them toward the other exit.
"Younger children are especially vulnerable in a fire," Swaney said. "They're either incapable of self-preservation, meaning they can't get themselves out on their own, or they just don't know what to do because they're young and haven't experienced anything like this, and they get scared."
He continued, "This is a very interactive tool that teaches children muscle memory, because they learn best when they're involved in actually doing the activity themselves."
Swaney said the department also reminds students to be mindful of kitchen appliances, and to not touch them when they are being used to cook.
Public Information Officer Frank Friend talks with kindergartners about fire safety on Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week at Oakland Elementary School. Friend is with the Bloomington Fire Department.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking fires contribute to 172,900 house fires per year in the U.S., causing 4,820 civilian injuries and more than $1 billion in direct property loss.
With the holidays just around the corner, Swaney said it is especially important to remind people not to leave anything unattended on the stove or in the oven.
"If you're cooking or heating something up or using your stove or your oven, at least stay where you can keep an eye on what you're cooking," Swaney said. "We have a lot of people that'll start cooking and get distracted or fall asleep, and then we end up with a kitchen fire."
Kindergartners learn about a Bloomington Fire Department truck on Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week at Oakland Elementary School. The students were in a class taught by Stacy Hornbacker.
Back in the schools, Friend said they provide teachers with fire safety packets that can be used to teach students throughout the year, which tips such as how to create a fire escape plan.
"It's important that we get all of these things accomplished. It's just a matter of timing," Friend said. "We try to be respectful of the school's time, and then we try to be ready to take care of emergencies on our end, so it's a very busy time of the year for us and fire prevention."
For more information on Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit www.nfpa.org/fpw.
Fire prevention and safety tips from the Illinois State Fire Marshal:
Source: Illinois State Fire Marshal
Firefighters train in a full-scale airport emergency exercise Saturday at the Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Airport crash tender fire engines respond in training at a full-scale airport emergency exercise Saturday at the Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Firefighters train in a full-scale airport emergency exercise Saturday at the Central Illinois Regional Airport.
A mock patient is walked away from a simulation airplane disaster scene Saturday by a Bloomington firefighter/paramedic during a drill at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
A volunteer acting as a disaster victim is wearing fake wounds for emergency crews to triage during a full-scale exercise Saturday at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Emergency crews tend to a mock patient "impaled" by debris during a simulated air disaster drill Saturday at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Firefighters use rescue equipment to drag away a mock patient from a simulated airplane disaster scene Saturday during a drill at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
An airplane passes in the background of a training drill Saturday at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Contact Mateusz Janik at (309) 820-3234. Follow Mateusz on Twitter:@mjanik99
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Bloomington firefighter Tyler Eft, right, shows kindergartners, including Nathan Mabela, his gear on Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week at Oakland Elementary School. The students were in a class taught by Stacy Hornbacker.
Kindergartner Owen Meadors hold a jacket from firefighter Tyler Eft on Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week at Oakland Elementary School. The students were in a class taught by Stacy Hornbacker.
Public Information Officer Frank Friend talks with kindergartners about fire safety on Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week at Oakland Elementary School. Friend is with the Bloomington Fire Department.
Kindergartners learn about a Bloomington Fire Department truck on Wednesday during Fire Prevention Week at Oakland Elementary School. The students were in a class taught by Stacy Hornbacker.
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