Area elementary schools practice fire safety

October is National Fire Safety Month, so area fire departments visited local elementary schools to educate students on how to be safe in the event of a fire.

The Pequot Lakes Fire Department visited Eagle View Elementary School on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Firefighters broke into teams of three or four and visited individual classrooms, explaining what to do if a student's home is on fire and answering all of the questions the students had.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, Nisswa Elementary School's day began with a fire drill that brought students out into the parking lot. A few minutes later, the Nisswa Fire Department pulled into the lot with sirens blaring. The department parked three trucks in front of the school and began spraying the building in a demonstration of what the firefighters would do if the building were on fire.

Following the demonstration, students filed into the gymnasium for a presentation by the department about fire safety.

1/2: Pequot Lakes firefighter Jessica Jacobson shows an Eagle View first grade class how to crawl below smoke and check doors for heat in the event of a fire. Photo by Dan Determan

2/2: Nisswa firefighters wade through a crowd of Nisswa Elementary students, giving high-fives and telling children not to be afraid of a firefighter in full gear. Photo by Dan Determan