Fort Oglethorpe Explorers Teach Fire Safety at Catoosa County Kids Day FORT OGLETHORPE, GA – Saturday, April 28, 2007 – Every year at the annual Catoosa County Kids Day, Fort Oglethorpe Fire & Rescue is proud to attend.  As in the past, the department brought its safety house which is manned with the Fire Department Explorer Post.  Throughout the day, kids of all ages enjoyed the many activities provided.  None proved to be more popular that the safety house. The children were greeted at the entrance to the house on wheels by an explorer in full bunker gear and breathing air.  Children were taught not to be afraid should they see someone enter their house looking and sounding like this.  Many of the younger kids did seem frightened at first but by the time they were ready to enter the safety house they understood that underneath all the equipment was a person just like their mom or dad. Once inside the safety house a three part demonstration and talk takes place.  Initially the youngsters are taken to a small room on the first floor that resembles a living room with a fireplace.  Fire safety is explained and children are taught to always know two ways out of the house.  They are also taught to come up with a plan with their family for a meeting place outside the house.  It is explained to them that they must not reenter the house once they are outside and how to get out if they see smoke or fire. After spending the time in the “living room”, the kids move to the kitchen where they are shown different things not to do such as placing flammable items on the stove, electric wires in the sink, etc.  The children then move upstairs to the bedroom where the discussion centers around how to get out of an upstairs room, what a smoke detector sounds like and more safety related items.  The kids are then treated to a smoke detector sounding and the house is filled with artificial smoke.  The children then go down the stairs while sitting down and crawl to the door where they go outside to a designated meeting place.  A telephone hooked to the control room of the house is available for them to call 9-1-1 and when they place this call they are asked for pertinent information like the address, their name and why they are calling. Firefighters from Station 8 were also present to show kids around Engine 8, let them try on helmets and get familiar with the engine.  Life Force Medical Helicopter also landed and kids and adults alike got to check out the helicopter. The positive comments from kids and parents show that this time spent with the kids is very worthwhile.  Fort Oglethorpe Fire & Rescue is dedicated to fire safety.  Teaching the kids goes a long way to making the community safer.