Oconomowoc boy recognized, fire safety lesson put to test
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. -
An Oconomowoc second-grader is being called a hero after quickly putting into action a fire safety plan he learned in school only hours earlier.
Instructions for students
The backstory:
On Oct. 16, Western Lakes firefighters were at St. Jerome Parish School in Oconomowoc as part of a regular fire-prevention course with kindergarten and second-grade students.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Western Lakes Fire District Assistant Chief Joseph Hoffman said they taught kids about knowing to get out as fast as possible when a smoke alarm goes off or they smell smoke. In addition to testing smoke alarms, Hoffman said it's important to know the ways out of every room and have an outside meeting place in the event of a fire.
Western Lakes Fire District
Boy used lesson, recognized
Dig deeper:
A second-grader named Blake was in that St. Jerome class, and only 48 hours after the visit from firefighters, he heard his home smoke detector blare.
"(Blake) knew exactly what to do – paid attention," Hoffman said. "He chose to do exactly what he learned. That should be recognized."
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Hoffman said something was left on a stove and caught fire. Blake got his family out of the house and to their meeting place at their lamppost. Blake’s grandfather next door came out with a fire extinguisher and got the fire out before crews arrived, Hoffman said.
Why you should care:
The lesson paid off, and on Friday, Western Lakes firefighters returned to Blake’s school with a surprise. Hoffman said the fire chief gave him the Western Lakes Fire District Certificate of Excellence, and they plan to recognize the boy at an upcoming awards ceremony. Hoffman said Blake’s family declined to speak with FOX6 News.
Western Lakes Fire District recognizes Blake
Fire prevention and safety
Big picture view:
October was also fire prevention month. Hoffman said the department visited 14 schools and childcare sites and reached more than 1,700 students.
When daylight saving time ended Sunday, firefighters hope you remembered to check your smoke detectors. Hoffman said, while some units are hardwired, they still have a battery inside.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Joseph Hoffman and Western Lakes Fire District.