It’s a thrill when a community leader like Councilmember Felipe Fuentes joins MySafe:LA to teach fire safety to students. That’s exactly what took place last week at Harding Street Elementary School in Sylmar. The community is still dealing with the emotional scars of a house fire that claimed the lives of a family, including two students who attended (a different) school in the Sylmar area.
Councilmember Fuentes, MySafe:LA, First Alert, and the Los Angeles Fire Department collaborated on a special presentation for the 4th and 5th grade classes at Harding Street Elementary. The morning began with an enthusiastic discussion of the weather and wildfire dangers by Councilmember Fuentes. A resident of Sylmar himself, the councilmember delivered some excellent messages and connected well with the kids. This type of community involvement is something MySafe:LA is working to evolve further, as these are the parents and community leaders of tomorrow, and learning about civic and social responsibility is part of our overall messaging.
Fire Captain Jaime Moore, a Public Information Officer for the LAFD, along with the crew of Engine 91 added to the presentation, and as always, we were so pleased to have them there. The kids loved watching a firefighter suit up in his turnout gear and heard stories about the commitment firefighters make on a daily basis to ensure the safety of everyone in the community.
MySafe:LA instructors Chris Nevil, William Whitney, and Todd Leitz worked as a team, sharing some of our key messages. The students also watched videos, participated in interactive get low and go drills, and asked a lot of great questions.
The highlight of the presentation was helping to ensure these students homes would be safer in the event of a fire. Thanks to the terrific partnership with First Alert, every student present received a new combination smoke/CO alarm. Prior to the event, MySafe:LA delivered “pledge cards” to the school. Over the weekend, students took the cards home and inspected their residence for working smoke alarms. They completed the cards and returned them to MySafe:LA just prior to the presentation. MySafe:LA is gathering data from around the city to create a working map and analysis of smoke alarm implementation compared to where significant and fatal fires occur.
This event is just one example of how MySafe:LA and city leaders can work together to create a more aware and prepared community. Thanks Councilmember Fuentes! When’s our next appearance together?
