Alexandria fire and safety educator Patsieann Misiti has been working with the Fire Department for almost five years and teaches prevention and life safety in local schools and businesses. During October, which is Fire Prevention month, Misiti has been visiting fourth-grade classes in Alexandria elementary schools.
Why did you decide to take this job with the Fire Department?
I felt that the opportunity to educate the community on fire safety is a very important part of prevention. For example, many injuries related from falls are the result of people having too many things around the house. We can prevent such falls through education.
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Why have you focused on fourth-graders this month?
We don’t have enough resources to reach every student in every elementary school this year. To reach everyone, we will focus on each fourth-grade class in Alexandria this year and go back again each year. There isn’t a mandate on fire and safety education in the schools, so we have to squeeze it in wherever we can. We also try to go into preschools, but it’s not part of their regular curriculum. The schools have to make room for our programs, so sometimes it’s hard to get classroom time.
What do you teach the children in your classes?
We teach them to be their own eyes and ears at home. We tell them how they can prevent injuries and how fires start. We also bring fire trucks to the schools, and firefighters from the department answer the students’ questions. Sometimes that part of the program can be a little distracting for the kids.
Have you seen any direct results of your programs?
There isn’t really any way to track the program’s impact, but we have a very low [fire] injury and death rate here in Alexandria. Also, I have heard from neighboring counties about children who dialed 911 saying they learned how to make the emergency call in classes like these. The important thing is that it happens somewhere.
