Herald Neighbors

Bayview Avenue School students slide into 13th year of fire safety

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Bayview Avenue School third graders participated in the 13th annual “Hooked on Firefighters” program featuring the Freeport Fire Department at the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center in Garden City on May 30th.
“It’s important for the kids to see good role models,” said Cindy Misrock a social worker at Bayview Avenue School.
The event is a luncheon for students and local firefighters to introduce fire safety while building rapport with the firemen. Some of the Freeport firefighters have also participated in the annual program since its inception.
During the early part of the morning, students shared their classroom presentations that included an acrostic poem with the word “firefighter.” As the students went through each letter of the word, they described how a firefighter has made a personal impression or impact on their lives. Afterward, the students presented the firefighters and the fire medics with a “thank you” card for the help they provide the community.
According to Misrock, each class at Bayview is assigned to firefighters or fire medics who visit the students throughout the school year and teach students safety fire procedures.

Throughout the museum students were seen exploring fire trucks playing with the buttons on some of the apparatus on display, sounding off sirens and even sliding down a pole like firemen. During lunch, Ray Maguire, the executive director of the FFD shared that 38 students passed the Junior Fire Marshal Quiz with a 100 percent score.
”Without the schools support and making the program so effective,” he said. “there would be no program.”
“The teachers — I can’t do it without them,” Misrock said.”The teachers are a big part of the day because when the [students] perform at their event it’s a mixture of the children and their teachers coming up with something to [present].”
FFD, Ex-Captain Alfonso Hardwick joined some of the children for lunch and was seen talking to them about his job as a firefighter.
“[We, as firefighters,] enjoy this event and it’s a great way for the children to celebrate with us.”


Natalie Deshommes is an intern from Pennsylvania State University