
By Sara Rietbroek
Members of the Great Neck Alert Fire Department visited three local elementary schools during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4 to 10, to teach students the importance of fire safety and prevention. Children were taught how to drop to the ground and crawl because staying low is important to avoid harmful smoke.
Students watched a film and every child received an activity book that provided tips about fire safety and prevention, the importance of having working smoke detectors and who to call in the event of a fire.
The Alert firefighters visited Saddle Rock, J.F. Kennedy and E.M. Baker Schools. Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic conflagration in 1871 that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres.
To learn more about fire safety, please visit the Alert Fire Company website at www.alertfd.org and click on the Safety Info tab.