Last week, the Cassville Fire Protection District visited area daycares and schools to discuss fire safety with children.
Cpt. Chris Reibert, told children how to keep safe, like to crawl low on the floor in smoke, and how they need to check if the door is hot before opening it. He also told them how to yell really loud when they hear, “Fire Protection District, is anyone in here.”
In addition, he explained that while a firefighter might look scary because they have so much equipment on, they shouldn’t be scared, and that equipment helps to keep the firefighter safe.
Derek Acheson, Cassville assistant fire chief, said for children and adults the same, people need to remember if their house catches on fire, and it isn’t something you can put out — get out and stay out.
“We tell children not to stop for toys or pets,” he said. “Pets will figure a way out. It is also to teach them to have accountability on if everyone got out of the house.”
Acheson said when the Fire Protection District shows up, they are in one of two modes.
“The first is rescue mode,” he said. “We are focused finding people and getting them out. The other is extinguishment mode. We are there to put the fire out.”
Families need an escape plan and a place to meet so that it is easy to relay information about if someone is stuck in the house.
“Keeping your bedroom door closed holds off the smoke,” he said. “With fatalities, it is generally smoke that is the main cause.
“The recommendation is to have smoke alarms right outside the bedroom doors so you can hear them at night.”
Cassville Fire Protection District has been putting on fire safety week for many years.
“It is actually how I ended up on the Fire Protection District,” Acheson said. “My son went to God’s Little Kingdom, and they had fire safety week. My son came home and was adamant about practicing an escape plan. They made such an impact on him.”
Shortly after, Acheson started the process of becoming a firefighter.
“When talking to kids about fire safety you have to get on their level,” he said. “Adults can grasp the technical aspects of a fire, but for children, you have to craft that message to something that will keep them safe.”
Acheson said for this area, he advises people to make sure their chimneys are cleaned out.
“This time of year, it gets chilly and people start to build fires,” he said. “Chimney fires are prevalent in this area, and we get those calls in spurts.”
It is also advised to keep a fire extinguisher in the home.
“At least a small fire extinguisher to keep small fires small,” Acheson said. “Smoke detectors are the No. 1 way to protect your family and home. Make sure to test them monthly and replace the batteries when we change the clocks for Daylight Saving Time.”
In addition, the Cassville Fire Protection District received 6 new MSA SCBA air tanks through a grant this year.
“The tanks on the old SCBAs had 2,216 pounds per square inch (PSI), of air, and the new ones have 4,500 PSI of air,” he said. “That is 30-40 minutes of air being inside of a dangerous environment instead of the 15-20 minutes we had before. They are also much more lightweight.”
The Cassville Fire Protection District will receive 18 more this year.
The Cassville Fire Protection District offers free smoke alarms and will install them. People can go to https://www. cassvillefpd.org/, or call 417-846-4005 to fill out a form for smoke alarms.
