Great Escape fire drill is today
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 11, 2000
DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / October 11, 2000
CONVENT – When the sirens sound today at 7 p.m., you’re prepared to runlike mad, helter-skelter around the house, right? Wrong.
The sirens are part of the Great Escape fire drill. Today is your chance topractice your family fire drill, along with the rest of the St. James Parish.”We’re asking families to put together a fire plan,” said Gerald Falgoust, director of the emergency operations center. The fire plan should bedesigned to make everyone aware of what should be done in case of a fire.
Where to exit the home, how to get to a fire escape and where to meet when one leaves the house are common activities outlined in a fire plan. The GreatEscape fire drill is a time to practice in case a real fire occurs.
The drill is part of the National Fire Prevention Week programs. St. JamesParish schools are being visited all week by volunteer firemen and members of the Firemen’s Association, who organized the visits.
At the junior high and high schools in the parish kids will receive a water bottle as well as a presentation on fire safety.
In the Headstart, primary and elementary schools, students will receive a visit from Dexter the Dalmatian. Like McGruff or Smokey the Bear, Dexterpromotes fire safety and instructs how to act and what to do in case of a fire. The kids also receive a small packet of supplies and information fireprevention and 911.
The Playmakers of Baton Rouge designed the Dexter the Dalmatian program.
Funded by the St. James Parish Firemen’s Association, the Playmakers tourwith the firemen to the local schools. Along with Dexter comes the SafetyFire House.
The house is designed to teach kids how to safely exit a burning building. Thehouse is filled with “friendly smoke,” said Falgoust. Made from smokemachines, the white smoke simulates an actual fire. The kids learn how tostay low to the ground and crawl out an exit, said Falgoust.
The school programs and supplies are all paid for by the St. James ParishFiremen’s Association.
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