The hands-on fire safety classroom on wheels.

The Waterford Fire Department mobile Fire Safety House is designed to properly teach the citizens of Waterford home fire safety and fire escape methods. This is part of the Fire Department's Fire Prevention Program to help reduce injuries and deaths from fire, burns, inclement weather and other household emergencies. This program will give Waterford children, as well as adults, practical hands-on knowledge of fire and burn prevention and teach them how to escape a burning house. There is no substitute for practical hands-on instruction.

A machine within the house generates non-toxic theatrical smoke, safely simulating fire conditions whereby citizens are taught how to exit a burning house as quickly and as safely as possible. Importance is placed on how to get out of a smoke filled room or house. How to crawl low and feel your way to an exit, safely exit the home and find a common meeting place. The importance of crawling and feeling your way to safety is highly stressed since there is very little or no visibility in a house on fire.

Training also covers locations for Smoke Detectors in the home, kitchen safety, and the dangers of playing with matches, lighters and cigarettes.

The Fire Safety House is a 35 foot long mobile trailer featuring the two rooms of a house that represent the greatest hazard for fires and other emergencies: the kitchen and the bedroom. The kitchen features a fully functional stove, microwave and sink. This facilitates the instruction of stove and cooking safety, how to deal with hot and burning items on the stove and the importance of turning pot handles inward. The bedroom is outfitted with a bed from which children are taught to roll off of onto the floor during a fire. There is a heating element in the bedroom door that children can feel before opening to learn that a warm door is a sign of a fire on the other side.

An escape ladder exiting the bedroom window allows children to practice emergency escapes. Working smoke detectors afford children the opportunity to hear what they sound like and how to react when they hear them. A telephone system teaches children how to dial 911 and report a fire or other emergency.

Incorporated in the Fire Safety House is a Weather Smart Package which is used to train citizens on what to do in the event of a tornado, severe thunderstorm or other dangerous weather. Citizens can experience the most dramatic characteristics of these severe storms in a completely safe environment.

No public monies were used to purchase this Fire Safety House. Funds were raised entirely by government grants, contributions from local businesses, civic groups and private citizens.

Contributors

• Wal-Mart
• Sam's Club
• Heart Care Cardiology
• T & C Federal Credit Union
• Montgomery & Sons Fire Restoration
• Marc Dutton Irrigation
• Safety Technology, Inc.
• Donelson, Johns and Evans Funeral Home
• Waterford Firefighters Association
• Waterford School District
• Waterford Foundation for Education
• Golling Chrysler
• Civitan Club
• Meijer's
• Vanderbeek & Killinger D.D.S.
• Alcoa Corporation
• Tri-County Custom Sports
• Cooley Elementary PTO
• Burt Elementary PTO
• Sphere Marketing
• Optimist Club
• Elsie Landin
• James Runyan
• Victoria Saunders
• Victor & Diane Lyman