Fire Safety
First glimpse of the fire truck
An exciting visit from Katonah Fire Department
From their first glimpse of the fire trucks—with lights flashing—pulling into the school drive to waving to Firefighter Mike, high above them on an aerial ladder that reached to the school’s roofline, Katonah Fire Department’s visit to Katonah Elementary School on October 11 was larger than life.
The exciting visit also imparted practical lessons about fire safety to kindergarteners and first graders.
waving to firefighter mike
learning fire safety basics
The department’s annual visit to the school falls during Fire Prevention Week. Firefighters use the opportunity to teach fire safety basics like stop, drop and roll. “If there’s an emergency in your house, we’ll talk about what you can do,” said Firefighter Cathryn Long. “If a firefighter comes to your house, we’ll talk about what you can expect.”
The friendly smiles of the local firefighters put the little ones at ease, and they were able to feel safe while talking about a potentially scary subject.
One of the firefighters put on all of his equipment, including a heavy coat, mask and oxygen tank. The students watched him crawl low to the ground and listened to his raspy-sounding breathing. “If you see someone dressed like this, don’t be scared,” Captain Laurie DeRosa said to the children.
The visit closed with Firefighter Michael Roper—a Katonah Elementary School dad—climbing the aerial ladder to the school roof. “I see a few frisbees and balls up here,” he called down to the waving children.
Thank you to Firefighters Davide Palmerini, Michael Roper, Jason LaFond, Kristofer Delaney, Michael Matteo and Cathryn Long, Captain Laurie DeRosa, and Ex-Chief Bruce Whalen.
