On Monday, second graders from Milwaukee Spanish Immersion School attended the kick-off event for Fire Prevention Week.
Outside of Milwaukee's Survive Alive House, students hung out with the Sparky, the Milwaukee Fire Department's mascot, while listening to several speakers, like Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and MPS Superintendent Dr. Keith P. Posley.
Then, the second graders performed a "Fire Safety" version of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" for the speakers.
Hey!
Hey!
I will survive.
Oh, as long as I know how to escape, I know I'll stay alive.
Inside the Survive Alive House, students watched educational videos on how to exit a burning house, who to call, and the importance of having a fire escape plan. All this talk gives Spencer Velasquez more reasons to become a firefighter.
"It's because you can break stuff and you can save people when there is a fire," says Velasquez.
Following the videos, the children use all the information in a fire simulation. Red flashing lights, fog machine smoke, and warm doors create an illusion of a house fire. They work together, with a fire fighter's help, to get out and find help. Lauren Slayton says she really enjoyed herself.
"My favorite part was when we had crawled out of bed and we did it really safely," says Slayton.
The Milwaukee Fire Department's Community Relations Director, Michael Ball, says the fire safety program has been going on for more than 20 years. During that time, the number of deaths from house fires in Milwaukee, has greatly decreased.
"I think it helps just really get the message across about fire safety," says Ball,"When they're out here and they're practicing what they just learned in the classroom it's so, it's neat to see them put everything together and put it to use."
