Botsford Fire Rescue visited Middle Gate Elementary School to educate students about fire safety on Thursday, October 16.

The special occasion celebrated Fire Prevention Week, a nationally observed week where children and adults learn about the importance of fire safety.

Fire Prevention Week was officially proclaimed a national observance in 1925, making it the longest-running health observance in the United States, according to National Fire Protection Association. This year is particularly special, as it marks 100 years since it started being nationally observed.

Botsford Fire Rescue originally planned to visit Middle Gate during Fire Prevention Week, held this year from October 5-11, but rainy weather pushed the visit back to October 16. However, the delay did not stop Middle Gate students from being excited to see firefighters in person.

Throughout the day, teachers from grades K-3 pulled their students out of class and led them outside next to the playground.

Two classes at a time would sit on a tarp as they listened to Botsford Fire Rescue Former Assistant Chief Bill McAllister go over various fire safety tips. These tips included having a special meeting place and crawling low to avoid breathing in smoke during a fire.

Students in fourth grade went outside for a fire safety assembly at the end of the school day.

McAllister taught students what to do if they are sleeping at night and they hear the smoke detector go off. If that happens, McAllister encouraged people to roll out of bed onto the floor and crawl over to their bedroom door. This is to avoid breathing in smoke, which can make people “very sick very quickly” if inhaled.

Then, people should slowly raise the back of their hand from the bottom of the door to its handle to check for heat. McAllister stressed to everyone that they should not open the door, but instead turn around, crawl across the bedroom floor, and go to their window.

He had students practice opening their window and yelling for help. If someone’s window is on the bottom floor, McAllister said they can crawl out of the window and go to their special meeting place. If not, they can wait for a firefighter to use a ladder and help them out. When people safely escape the building, they can gather in their special meeting place.

Much like Botsford Fire Rescue’s visit to Middle Gate last year, McAllister’s presentation had live participation elements. Four students in every group got to dress up in Botsford Fire Rescue gear, sporting their jacket and helmet for the special occasion.

Two Botsford Fire Rescue volunteers held up a big tarp and waved it to emulate smoke, which students had to quickly crawl beneath. Everyone laughed or giggled as they crawled on the ground as fast as possible, trying not to bump into their fellow students.

There was also an activity where one class pretended to be a smoke alarm going off in the middle of the night. Their beeps “woke up” the other class, who then had to escape the house. They were safely pulled out of a wooden window by a Botsford Fire Rescue volunteer. Afterwards, students ran over to their designated meeting place — off in the grass by the playground.

At the end of each session, McAllister gave students two jobs for homework: have a fire escape plan that includes everybody in their house, and test their smoke detector to make sure it works.

“We want to make sure you guys go home informed, so this way you can all stay safe,” McAllister explained to a group of Middle Gate first graders.

McAllister also told students if their family cannot pay for a battery or for a smoke detector to come to the Botsford fire station.

“We’ll give you a battery or smoke detector for free,” he told students. “It’s important have to have a smoke detector in every house.”

McAllister said Botsford Fire Rescue visits many schools as part of its fire prevention program, teaching hundreds of kids every year about fire safety. He added that Botsford Fire Rescue is entirely comprised of volunteers, and always looking for help.

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.