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Red Cross program teaches disaster readiness |
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Wednesday, 23 July 2008 |
 Becky Wilkes/For the SDN Brickfire Project summer campers got an upclose view of a fire truck on Thursday when Starkville firefighter Lee Kellum explained how the Fire Department responds to calls. The visit was part of the Red Cross Masters of Disaster program fire safety and prevention program presented at Brickfire. Below, Mississippi State senior Ken Nunley, standing topr right, uses a sheet to demonstrate to young children how to get below smoke and escape a fire during the Masters of Disaster program held at the Brickfire Project’s summer camp last week.
Crawling under a sheet held by his classmates, little Jamin Armstead was all smiles. It was a fun project, and one that could save his life one day.
“Heat rises, so it’s important that children know that the best way to escape from a smoke-filled room is by crawling along the floor,” explained Red Cross volunteer Ken Nunley.
Nunley, a senior at Mississippi State University, led the Masters of Disaster Fire Safety and Prevention Project at Brickfire’s Summer Camp last week.
Nunley coordinated three days of activities at Brickfire, with the support of Red Cross volunteers Julia Pendley, Liz Farmer, Marilyn Thompson, Anne Snell, Rosemary Cuicchi, and Brian Champlain. Material for the project was prepared from the Masters of Disaster curriculum by volunteer Betty Cummings. Fifty-four youngsters, grades K-5, participated.
“The children learned a lot from the program,” said Brickfire director Helen Taylor. “It was an important part of their summer activities.”
The Starkville Fire Department partnered with the Red Cross volunteers.
Last Wednesday, firefighters Lee Kellum, Matt Wilson, Sam Pennel and Greg Hudson were on hand to demonstrate firefighting gear. Pennel demonstrated how quickly firefighters can do their gear – in just one minute.
“Seeing a firefighter in full fire gear can frighten a child. Through this kind of activity, children know what to expect and they know that the sight of a fireman means help,” Nunley said. “That can save a child’s life.”
The Masters of Disaster curriculum is a disaster safety curriculum integrating disaster safety into Kindergarten to eighth grade students’ daily lesson plans nationwide.
Children learn how to prevent, prepare for, and respond to a disaster in their home, school, or community. The lesson plans can be integrated into core academic subjects: science, math, social studies, and language arts (including reading, word comprehension, and spelling).
“We appreciate the Optimist Club’s donation last year that enabled us to purchase this curriculum material,” said Becky Wilkes, director of the Oktibbeha County chapter of the American Red Cross. “And we also appreciate the volunteers who bring it to life.”
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 24 July 2008 )
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