Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) highlighted Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 6-12, 2024. Students, staff and volunteers from local fire departments anticipate the arrival of the week every year. Schools coordinate visits from local fire departments annually so students can learn about fire safety firsthand.
During these visits, the volunteers talk about their experiences, give demonstrations of their equipment and skills, and provide students with tips about what they can do in the event of a fire or emergency. Students and staff look forward to the visits as they break away from the traditional classroom setting to gain new knowledge about fire prevention and safety.
Several schools participated in the week holding their own kinds of events and activities. The Early Learning Center (ELC), Waldorf; ELC, La Plata; Walter J. Mitchell and Dr. Thomas L. Higdon elementary schools were just a few that had visits from local fire departments. During the week, students and staff learned about fire safety for school and tips to follow at home.
The Newburg Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department visited ELC, La Plata on Thursday, Oct. 10. “We would like to say, ‘thank you’ to the teachers and staff at the Early Learning Center with CSM for allowing us to bring a little bit of fire prevention to their students this morning,” Liz Murphy, Newburg EMS Captain, said. “The students were able to interact with members of the department as they were shown some of the equipment worn and used by first responders.”
Higdon hosted a daylong event on Wednesday, Oct. 9, in the school parking lot and gymnasium with volunteers and staff from Cobb Island, Bel Alton and Newburg fire departments. EMS trucks, rescue vehicles and fire trucks were on the school grounds to give students and staff a closer look into the role of a fire department volunteer.
Deputy Fire Chief William Lawman of the Cobb Island Fire Department and EMS is a former student of Higdon and a parent of current and former students at Higdon. “Students get to learn about fire prevention,” he said. “They are given assignments for them to check their smoke alarms at home and to practice going to meeting spots in case of an emergency.”
Lawman has been a volunteer for 30 years and has been coming to Higdon for fire prevention days annually.
Lawman’s son, Collin, is a sophomore at La Plata High School, a former Higdon huskie and is also a volunteer at the fire department along with his dad. “I wanted to give back to my community. I was inspired by my dad and all the people that are here right now,” he said.
Michelle Lawman, William’s wife and Collin’s mother, is an EMS deputy at the fire department and is a prekindergarten instructional assistant (IA) at Higdon.
Many of the other volunteers at the fire prevention event were former Higdon huskies. A few are named below.
- Andrew Bowling, Cobb Island volunteer.
- J.R. Goldsmith, Newburg volunteer, fire captain.
- Josh Oliver, Newburg volunteer.
- William Oliver, Newburg volunteer, freshman at La Plata.
During the event, students participated in a mock fire drill with the fire alarm going off in an inflatable house, practiced calling 911 to rehearse what they would say in case of an emergency, and used a fire hose to put out a wooden “fire.”
Find Fire Prevention Week resources on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website at https://bit.ly/3Nn5J0Z.
