Kids Fire Safety Event headed to the Albany Civic Center

ALBANY — The Albany Fire Department will once again pit the bad guys like Lighter Boy, Scorch, Match Boy and Flame, against good guys Water Boy, Extinguisher Girl, Smoke Detector and Super Chief at the Albany Civic Center on Wednesday.

It’s the 21st annual Kids Fire Safety Day Event, and a chance for firefighters to be super heroes for a day, entertain as many as 5,000 2nd graders from 14 schools in Dougherty County and perhaps save some lives.

“It’s the biggest show of it’s type in the state right now, and the second largest in the country,” said Assistant Fire Chief Sebon Burns, co- director of this year’s event. “It’s a really big deal.”

The major message Wednesday will be “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep,” Burns said, a theme selected by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) and referring to the importance of working smoke alarms in every bedroom.

According to Burns, the proper use of smoke alarms is such an important element in fire safety, it should be major part of any fire education program, whether for children or adults. Other safety messages for kids include “never play with matches or lighters,” “crawl beneath the smoke” and “stop drop and roll.”

The interactive battles between the Fire Starter Gang and the Fire Prevention Justice League do more than educate young children about the dangers of fire or smoke. An even more important goal is to enlighten the moms and dads.

“You have parents maybe 30 or 35 years old who have never have seen a fire safety show,” Burns said. “The only information they typically receive is from the news. They go to work and then come home and cook. But their kids come from our show and deliver the message and the materials we send with them.”

In addition to the yearly show, The AFD does smaller presentations aimed at all age groups, delivered at schools, colleges, churches, businesses and day care facilities.

“We did an evacuation program at a daycare just the other day,” said Fire Inspector Sheniqua Robinson, a co-director of the Civic Center event. “These 4-year-olds were smart. I asked them ‘if this room were to catch on fire, which door would you use to get away,’ and they pointed to the door closest to them. Then they said they would all meet in the alley.”

Burns said that following each Kids Fire Safety Day Event, firefighters visit the schools with questionnaires to follow up on what was learned.

According to Burns, a new attraction at this years fire safety program will be plywood boards with painted depictions of firefighters and holes for kids to insert their own faces. The boards, with paintings by Fire Inspector Lawrence Cargile, was Robinson’s brainchild, Burns said.

“As much work as our firefighters put into these shows, if we save even one life it’s more than worth it,” said Albany Fire Chief Ron Rowe. “This is a total team effort supported by local businesses, the Recreation Department, the Civic Center, the Mayor and the community as a whole.”

The Kids Fire Safety Day Event will begin at 10 a.m. at the Civic Center and last for around one hour.