VIENNA — The Vienna Fire Protection District welcomed local elementary students to the station for National Fire Prevention Week. The event aimed to give children practical knowledge for emergencies while introducing them to firefighters and their equipment.

Joe Edwards, a firefighter with the district, spoke to students about staying calm and taking the right steps during a fire.

“When there’s an emergency, it’s okay to be scared,” Edwards said. “When you’re scared, you find one of us in our uniforms. You come to us and say, ‘I’m scared.’ We keep stuffed animals and toys on this truck that help kids not be scared in bad situations.”

Edwards went on to explain that while the gear firefighters wear may be a little frightening, the people behind the gear are people you know and trust.

“It’s just us underneath all that gear,” Edwards reassured the children. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”

To help students understand what a firefighter looks like in full gear, firefighter TJ Jeremy volunteered to suit up in front of the children. The hands-on approach helped dispel fears and allowed children to see firsthand the protective equipment firefighters wear during emergencies.

After the demonstration, Edwards walked students through the proper steps to stay safe if a fire does happen around you.

“First things first, get out of the building immediately,” he said. “Don’t worry about your iPad, your video games or your favorite toy. Your job is to get out. Once you’re out, everybody knows you’re going to be at a central meeting place with your family.”

Students were assigned “homework” to discuss a family meeting spot with their parents, reinforcing preparation and communication in an emergency. In addition, more homework was given to the children to memorize their address. Edwards asked multiple children sporadically as they toured the fire station to keep them alert.

Edwards also demonstrated firefighter training using a life-size dummy, which allowed students to see how rescuers practice extracting someone safely from dangerous situations. Some of the children tried t lift the dummy themselves. The lesson also included crushing water cans with a hydraulic spreader, showing how fire hoses operate and giving the children a close-up look inside a fire truck.

Captain Allan Pollreisz emphasized the importance of familiarizing children with firefighters before a real emergency arises.

“If you introduce a big, scary fireman, and all their gear, kids are going to go and try to hide sometimes,” Pollreisz said. “This is getting them familiar with us, with our equipment even with our breathing mask. It helps them get comfortable so they’ll know to trust us and that’s the biggest thing.”

Pollreisz also reflected on the long-standing tradition of fire safety education in the community. Many of the children in attendance are part of families that have grown up with local firefighters who have decades of service.

“These kids, their parents, we were kids when we did this,” he said. “I’ve done this for 30, 32 years now. This is all about getting the younger generation to know us and be knowledgeable, because if they’re in an emergency and something’s happening, they’ll know what to do.”