Firefighters with North County Fire EMS have been visiting elementary schools in Stanwood to teach students the importance of fire safety.
They also show students what a firefighter looks and sounds like when they have all their gear on.
“Our goal is to alleviate fear,” North County Fire EMS Captain Matt Fleishbein said. “If we have to enter a student’s home, we don’t want them to hide from us; we want them to exit their home as soon as possible.”
Fleishbein stressed the importance of having a family evacuation plan and encouraged the students to practice that plan with their families. It’s also critical to test smoke detectors annually to ensure they’re in good working order.
“Three out of five deaths related to fires are due to inoperable smoke detectors,” Fleishbein said. “If a family doesn’t have a working smoke detector, they can contact our department and we’ll provide one to them.”
Learn more about the school district’s Safety & Wellness resources at https://www.stanwood.wednet.edu/safety