Kindergartners celebrate fire prevention week

STOP, DROP AND ROLL: Happy Valley kindergarteners tour the fire hall in Happy Valley and learn what to do in a fire.

From inside the Happy Valley fire hall on Cloverdale Road, screams of young children filled the air.

"I'm here! I'm here!" or "Help me!"

Answering their cries, firefighter Chris Wright crawled into the darkened room wearing full structure gear.

With a flashlight in one hand and an airpack on his back, he felt around for the small victims of a pretend structure fire.

The children responded as they had been instructed. They did not hide. Rather, they screamed as loudly as they could and launched themselves onto his back or grabbed at his arms and legs.

The children learned that the frightening sight and sound of a scary form moving through their smoke-filled bedroom was actually a friend in disguise. With room lights now on, firefighter Wright removed his helmet, hood and breathing device to show the children that there was nothing to fear.

This was an annual trip to the firehall for three kindergarten classes from Happy Valley Primary School. The children also learned about the danger of fire, the importance of using the 9-1-1 number responsibly and the need for a planned escape route from their bedrooms.

After an hour of fun and instruction, they trooped back to school, each carrying a bag of souvenirs and enough information to save their lives in an emergency.