The Pre-K and Lower School students had a wonderful, educational treat this week. Mr. Beltrani, parent to kindergartener Casey, second grader Adele, and fifth grader Evelyn, came in on Wednesday to teach the students about fire safety. Mr. Beltrani, who is a Deputy Fire Chief in New York City, showed the children how he suits up for a fire. He reminded us that when there’s a fire in a home or building, the air is unsafe to breathe. He explained that firefighters use a special breathing tank that holds air, which is pressed into the tank very tightly–just like the way you press snow together to form a snowball. Firefighters breathe through something called a “regulator,” which sends the air through hoses into a mask. This equipment is known as self-contained breathing apparatus or “SCBA”. Students noticed how this is a lot like the word “SCUBA,” for underwater diving.
Mr. Beltrani reviewed important safety information in case of a home fire. He told the children to make sure they have a meeting place safely away from the fire–such as at end of your driveway or near your mailbox. He reminded us all to never try to rescue pets or stuffed animals–firemen and firewomen will know that these things are important to you and will want to go and save them for you. And, in addition to the well-known “stay low and go,” and “stop drop and roll” rules, Fireman Beltrani taught another way to think about getting out of a fire called, “fall and crawl.”
The pre-kindergarteners and Lower School students wish to thank Mr. Beltrani for taking the time to talk with us about such an important safety message.
