GLADSTONE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Delta County Fire Chiefs Association is raising money to replace an aging educational tool.
The association’s current fire safety trailer has been in use for more than three decades. Each year, over 900 elementary school students walk through the trailer to learn the signs of a fire and how to escape.
“We are in desperate need of a new one because it’s starting to show its age,” said Tate Thompson, President of the Delta County Fire Chiefs Association. “It’s starting to get some rot and have some issues.”
On Saturday, April 18, the Gladstone Lions Club will host its annual Spring Social, along with the Bay de Noc Lions. Proceeds from the event will go toward the purchase of an inflatable fire safety house.
Thompson says an inflatable house would allow fire departments to hold educational events inside school gymnasiums. He says it would also make fire safety accessible for all students.
“Fire Safety Month is October, and it’s not always nice weather,” he said. “It’s rainy; it’s nasty. This one is also more ADA-compliant so that students who have disabilities have the same opportunity as their peers for fire education and safety. They’re just as important.”
According to Thompson, cooking fires are the most common issue departments respond to. He says providing children with a realistic experience in a controlled environment is critical for their safety in the event of such an emergency.
“We have to be able to show them the problems and things to watch out for when we educate them,” said Thompson. “That’s what this will do. We have appliances. We have simulated things that we can show our students and educate them on fire safety and make sure that they don’t have issues as they grow into adults.”
The Gladstone Lions Club Spring Social begins at 7 p.m. at the Terrace Bluff Country Club. Admission is $15, and the event will include live music, raffles, and a silent auction.
For additional information on the Spring Social fundraiser, click here. Anyone interested in supporting the cause outside of the event can make a check out to the Delta County Fire Chiefs Association.
