Breana Pellicane, a sixth grader at Carbonaro, said she learned that it is important to crawl low under the smoke. She said she never forgets what the firefighters tell her. “Just in case there is a fire, you could remember what you learned,” she said.

Shane Cook, a fifth grader, said he learned that it’s important to know two ways out of the house in a fire. He said if the door is hot, then he should try to escape through the window. For Shane, these fire safety tips are important. “When you don’t know about it, you could get hurt,” he said.

Michael Schippell and Bryana Bizarro said that after meeting the firefighters and learning about the equipment on the trucks, they might want to volunteer with their local fire department when they are older. Bryana said it would be rewarding save people’s lives.

Laxton, a volunteer firefighter for 29 years, would be glad to hear that. He said that while the purpose of the program is to teach safety tips, he hopes some children will be encouraged to join the fire department when they are old enough.

Sierria Harris, a third-grade student at Forest Road School, enjoyed her trip through the smokehouse where she learned how to stay safe. “It’s important to learn this stuff,” she said, “because if your school or your house and anything else catches on fire, you know what to do.”

Valley Stream’s firefighters look forward to the school visits each year, Garofalo said, and many take a day off from work to be there because they believe in the value of the program. “We never have a problem getting volunteers to help with the schools,” he said. “It reinforces their reason for being.”