“Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!”
That was the theme across the country for National Fire Prevention Week, which this year, took place during the week of October 6. It was also the message stressed by members of the Westmoreland Fire Department to the Primary Elementary School’s students. 
The fire prevention and public education team from the department, like it does every year, visited the Primary Elementary School on October 18. The team spent the morning at the school, stressing the importance of fire safety.
Each pre-k, kindergarten, first grade and second grade class, along with United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) and BOCES students, participated in a presentation on “Stop, Drop and Roll,” toured the Oneida County Department of Emergency Services’ safety house - - which includes a number of visual safety reminders - - and had the opportunity to take a look at emergency apparatus. Pre-K, UCP and BOCES students were also treated to a puppet show.
“An important part of this year’s theme was telling our students that in a typical home fire, they may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds,” Mrs. O’Connell, Primary Elementary School principal, said. “We really tried to drive home the importance of planning an escape route ahead of time and practicing it.”
The theme - - “Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!” - - works to educate everyone about the small, but important, actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe:
· MAP IT OUT – Draw or map out the layout of your home, marking two exits from every room (typically a door and a window) and a path from each exit to the outside.
· SMOKE ALARMS – Mark the location of all smoke alarms in your home (there should be at least one on every level, in each bedroom and near all sleeping areas).
· MEETING PLACE – Pick a meeting place outside in front of your home where everyone will meet upon exiting.
· 911 – Make sure everyone knows how to call 911 or the local emergency number from a mobile phone or neighbor’s phone once they’re safely outside.
· PRACTICE – Home escape planning and practice ensure that everyone knows what to do in a fire and is prepared to escape quickly and safely. When the smoke alarm sounds in a real fire, it’s too late to start making a plan.
“The volunteers make the day fun for our students, while helping them learn important safety tips,” Mrs. O’Connell added. “We also had some of our present and former high school students back ‘home’ for the day!”
The Primary Elementary School thanks the Westmoreland Fire Department and COVAC Ambulance for its time, dedication and valuable lessons!