Volunteers from the Lompoc Firefighters Foundation joined members from the Lompoc Fire Department on Nov. 10 to give children in the Chumash Learning Center lessons on emergency preparedness and what to do if a fire occurs.
The department visited the Reservation with a Community Risk Reduction training trailer funded in part by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
Children ranging from 5 to 13 years old were taught how a smoke detector works before entering the trailer in groups of three for simulations of stovetop fires and smoke seeping under the door in a bedroom setting.
“We can scale these trainings so that they’re effective from age 5 to adults,” Lompoc Fire Chief Kurt Latipow said in a press release. “For the little ones, we want them to know what to do if smoke is in their bedroom—to stay low, feel the door for heat, and get out of the building. For adults, we simulate how to use a fire extinguisher and how to deal with kitchen fires, which are the most common fires in the home.”
The trailer gives firefighters the ability to deliver hands-on, community focused safety training at special events, community meetings, neighborhood gatherings, schools, businesses, and anywhere the trailer can be set up. Contact Latipow at 315-7087 or k_latiopw@ci.lompoc.ca.us for more information. The Lompoc Fire Department books visits one month in advance.
This article appears in Nov 13-20, 2014.