Fire Safety Month Observed at St. Francis School

Fire Safety Month Observed at St. Francis School

Alexa LaRocco

The students at St. Francis of Assisi School in Torrington are getting a detailed lesson in fire safety this month. The Torrington Fire Department brought the Fire Safety Van to the school parking lot, where students received formal instruction and toured the Fire Safety House, a mobile classroom designed to teach burn-prevention and escape techniques. The entire experience provided a realistic learning opportunity that made a strong impression on the students.

As part of the program, the Fire Safety House filled with nontoxic smoke, and the children were taught to crawl low to the ground to seek a safe exit. The house also has a heated door, which is used to teach children to feel doors prior to opening them during a fire. Materials from The Hartford insurance company's Junior Fire Marshall Program augmented the program.

"We are delighted that the students can learn such vital personal-safety techniques in such a realistic environment," says school principal Jo-Anne Gauger. She credits Mary Beth Baril, co-president of the St. Francis Home and School Association and an underwriter at The Hartford, for coordinating the event.

Elena Piorkowski Jesse Neal