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Fire department field trip enlightens Washington kindergartners

  • Charles City Fire Chief Eric Whipple leads a field trip at the fire station on Tuesday. Press photo by Kelly Terpstra

  • Washington kindergarten students listen intently to Charles City Fire Chief Eric Whipple on Tuesday during a field trip to the fire station. Press photo by Kelly Terpstra

  • A student walks out of the fire safety house on Tuesday on a field trip to the Charles City Fire Department. Press photo by Kelly Terpstra

  • Justin Schuttler (left) puts on a fire suit as Curt Teeter looks on during a field trip on Tuesday at the Charles City Fire Department. Press photo by Kelly Terpstra

  • Curt Teeter leads a field trip on Tuesday at the Charles City Fire Department for two kindergarten classes from Washington Elementary. Press photo by Kelly Terpstra

  • Curt Teeter leads a kindergarten field trip at the Charles City Fire Department. Press file photo by Kelly Terpstra

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

Stop, drop and roll, and get out and stay out.

Those are just a couple of the warnings and reminders Charles City full-time firefighter Curt Teeter has been telling students and groups for almost 20 years now.

Two Washington Elementary kindergarten classes went on a field trip Tuesday to the Fire Department, and that meant a chance to talk to Teeter and Charles City Fire Chief Eric Whipple, along with fire department volunteer Justin Schuttler.

The field trip focused on more than just letting the youngsters take a look at the bright red and shiny fire engines and the ambulances that sat in the department’s garage. Teeter and Whipple instructed the students from April Schweinfurth’s and Kimberly Niichel’s kindergarten classes in two separate 20-minute sessions.

“It’s pretty interesting that you get to talk to all these kids in the 19 years I’ve been here,” said Teeter, who became employed full time at the Charles City Fire Department in September of 1999.

The goal of the field trips is to raise awareness about the dangers of fire and what to do when encountering a fire.

Whipple talked to students in the fire safety house about the dangers of matches and lighters. He then activated a smoke drill where students had to stay low and crawl on the ground to avoid the artificially produced smoke billowing out of the mobile unit. Whipple also let students test their oxygen levels with an oximeter and explained what a stethoscope is used for, among other things.

Students could view Schuttler putting on his fire suit as well as the various fire trucks and engines that were ready to go should a fire call come through. Teeter said one of the fire engines shoots out up to two thousand gallons of water a minute. The students also got to look at the sleeping quarters inside the fire station.

There are four full-time members of the Charles City Fire Department including Whipple and Teeter. Assistant Chief Marty Parcher and Investigator Darien Uetz comprise the rest of the unit.

The first week of October is Fire Prevention Week and Teeter said that many organizations and schools from around the area have taken part in field trips at the CCFD.

 

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