The Alameda Fire Department hosted 675 kindergarteners (plus their teachers and scores of volunteers) last week for Safety Town, an event that teaches young learners about fire safety, traffic safety, what emergency responders do, and how their vehicles work.
The kinders took buses from their schools to AFD’s Station 5 on the base, which is now used for training. Then one group went into a meeting room to learn about fire safety from Firefighter Joel and Freddie, a talking fire truck. The other group went to Safety Town – several miniature city blocks where they learned rules about crossing the street and wearing helmets – and then toured a fire engine and an ambulance. Then the two groups switched.
Periodically, the firefighters asked the students who they should call in case of emergency. A chorus of high-pitched voices responded, “911!” each time.
This was the 51st year of Safety Town and the first time it had been organized since the pandemic. It is a joint project of the Alameda Fire Department, the Alameda Police Department, AUSD, the Kiwanis of Alameda, and the Bayview Women’s Club, and we’re deeply grateful for the partnership. Special thanks, too, to AUSD’s Jane Lee and Erin Ashworth for organizing this large project.