Fostoria first responders host 'Safety Town'

FOSTORIA — Fostoria City Police and Fire were in attendance for the annual "Safety Town" Thursday, event hosted by Fostoria Elementary School. The event, organized by Fostoria City School's Curriculum Director Tera Matz, Police Chief Gabe Wedge and Fire Chief Jason Root, was held to teach children ages 3-5 about basic fire and street safety rules. Chief Root spoke about the importance of this annual event for educating and introducing pre-school aged children to their equipment and staff. "We help educate the kids and try to get to them at a younger age, let them know about the safety forces and what we do and make it fun for them and, you know, don't let them be afraid of any firemen or police officers," he said. Safety Town is a small playground-style "town" set up in the courtyard area of the elementary school. Children who attended were able to see and get in fire trucks and police vehicles, practice street safety in Safety Town and even use a fire hose or operate the sirens and lights on the vehicles. They were able to ride tricycles through the town, which had painted street lines, signs and traffic lights to practice street safety. Street signs were hung up on the walls around the little town to teach the kids about significant signs and colors when practicing street safety. The kids also wore red pieces of yarn on their right wrist to remind them to stay on the right side of the road. "That idea was given to me by one of our new police officers, Jordan Tracy, who remembers her time in Safety Town. … She said that's one of the things she remembers the most," said Shiloh Frankart, Fostoria Elementary's school resource officer. Frankart played an important role in manning the head position of the event, coordinating the activities of the day and making sure the children were hydrated on the hot spring morning. Yesterday's event served as the introduction of the Fostoria Fire Department's new inflatable "Fire Safety House." The walkable inflatable's walls were full of fire safety tips with pictures for children. The pictures helped teach them how to safely exit a burning building and create a safety plan with their parents while also providing guidance on how to prevent fires, like making sure candles are not left burning and helpful rules for electronic devices. Fostoria Fire Department holds similar events for older kids at the elementary and junior high schools in the fall. Fire Safety Week is held in October, where members of the fire department visit classrooms to teach the students about fire safety and display some of the equipment the fire fighters use.