The Frankfort Fire Department was approved to purchase an inflatable fire safety house at the Frankfort Board of Public Works and Safety meeting Wednesday night to better bring fire safety education into the schools.
Chief Matt Stidham approached the board with a request to purchase an ADA-compliant inflatable fire safety house utilizing funds remaining in the budget for the department from the 2023 budget process. The inflatable equipment is expected to cost around $10,370 to purchase.
Stidham commented that the current fire safety education trailer that the department utilizes at the schools has started hindering the extent to which the firefighters conducting the activity can reach and influence the students at the local schools, and he believes that the inflatable equipment will improve the programs and allow for the firefighters to better educate the students.
“The fire safety trailer that we currently have was purchased in 2002,” Stidham said. “There’s a lot of age on it. We’ve put a lot of work into it over the last few years trying to get it up and running. We’ve now recognized that maybe one of our best options is to get one of these ADA-compliant fire prevention blow-up houses that we can actually take into the gyms into the school and inflate those.”
Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets echoed Stidham’s comments, stating that the implementation of the inflatable equipment into the fire safety programs will allow for the students to garner a better education in fire safety compared to the trailer that is currently being utilized as the inflatable may be placed directly inside the school, offers additional opportunities with new equipment and activities and provides an ease of access for the firefighters conducting the program.
“I think it’s important for the school systems to have these things in the schools so that the kids can actually learn,” Sheets said. “I think so many times that’s how they learn, to have the inflatable there and they’re able to have a hands-on experience. I’m really proud of Matt for coming up with this. I think it’s a great idea, and I look forward to it.”
Sheets expressed that implementing improved educational resources inside the schools has been a priority for both the Fire Department and Police Department as she believes that the firefighters and officers impact the students positively through their appearances at the schools as well as their educational materials they are able to share.
“Firefighters and police officers are so popular with the young kids within the schools, and I think they have a big influence on the children,” Sheets said. “I think this is great.”
The inflatable fire safety house was approved for purchase by the Fire Department and will replace the fire safety trailer currently utilized for educational programs at the local schools.