PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Presque Isle Fire Prevention Officer Grant Spinney and Captain Vince Baldwin recently made a visit to the Wintergreen Art Center’s creative preschool, Under the Willow Tree.
Each month, Wintergreen Preschool Teacher Jillian Harris invites a community helper into her classroom to talk with the children.
“The students have been learning about fire safety all week,” said Harris. “It was wonderful to have Officer Spinney and Capt. Baldwin in our classroom to show us what firefighters do and how they help make our communities safe.”
Spinney talked with the children about his job as a professional responder and his responsibility to protect lives. He explained how important it is for children not to be frightened of firefighters when they arrive on a scene in uniform.
“If I enter your home to save you,” said Spinney, “I don’t want you to be scared of me and run away. When I put on my face mask and all this clothing and hat, I am the same person underneath, and I’m here to help you.”
Spinney explained how his face mask and oxygen tank worked. He put on his uniform and firefighting gear to demonstrate a crawling technique used to find children in a burning building. He told the group that his gear weighs about 100 pounds, and then invited the class to touch his jacket, as well as lift his jacket and hat when he took them off.
In preparation for the firefighters’ visit, the children worked all week making their own uniforms out of paper grocery sacks. They painted their uniforms red and yellow, and Spinney gave each of them a hat.
Before departing, the firefighters allowed all the children to take a turn in the driver’s seat of their fire truck, after which everyone was reportedly excited and impressed.
