Fire drills spark learning

Hearing a smoke alarm beep, Robert Leigh jumped from bed. Remaining low to the ground, the 6-year-old checked the bedroom door which was too hot to open, and then crawled out a window.

He jumped onto the grass and ran to a tree, called “The Meeting Place.”

There was no fire; the smoke was only black balloons hanging from a pulley, and the bedroom was not even part of a house. The simulated bedroom fire conducted by Santa Ana Fire Academy volunteers was just an exercise in fire safety, but one that could save a kid’s life, volunteer Alex Valentine said.

“Would you go back inside for your favorite toy?” Valentine asked Robert.

No, the firemen go back in for that, Robert said.

Valentine’s station hosted one of many demonstrations kids and parents could enjoy Sunday at the Newport Beach Fire Dept. complex.

During the open house, Newport Beach Police, Fire, Lifeguard and Orange County Poison Control and Harbor divisions provided several demonstrations to get kids excited and learning about safety.

“We geared it more toward kids and safety,” event co-coordinator Fire Capt. Mike Liberto said.

Liberto and Capt. Chad Ponegalek have worked together for the second year to bring all the various safety divisions together if for just one day.

.

Thumbprint identification cards, made at the station, hands-on fire extinguisher demonstrations, and fire drills like the simulated smoky bedroom, reminded the kids and their families that the purpose of the event was education.

“It lets the community know what we do, what we provide,” Liberto said. “Our big issues are burn prevention, fire and home safety.”

At noon everyone gathered on a set of bleachers to watch special demonstrations by the police and fire departments. Fire fighters battled against each other simply for bragging rights in different agility challenges.

By far the most popular event of the day, kids rapelled down a three-story building with the help of the local SWAT team. No kid will leave without getting a chance to repel. Police Sgt. Bill Hartford said.

Further down the way, fire fighters demonstrated vehicle extraction techniques, using the Jaws of Life to rip the doors and top off of cars donated for the event. Before any metal can be cut, the windows of the vehicle need to be broken to protect the person trapped inside from flying glass.

“When you cut into the vehicle, you actually tweak the frame,” Liberto said. “The glass, with pressure from the twisting metal, will explode when it shatters.”

For the finale, a portable house, constructed from scraps of wood, was set on fire and then extinguished within minutes.

The fire may not have been real, but now Robert’s dad Todd Leigh, who was standing by watching, can be confident that his son will know how to handle the situation if it does occur.