Students Win Ride to School from Downers Grove Fire Department

Submitted by the Downers Grove Fire Department.

Third graders Hayden Worth of Pierce Downer School, Ksenia Baatz of Avery Coonley School, Lilliana Jaeger of Good Shepherd School, and Gabriella Okuku of St. Mary of Gostyn School were each driven to school on the Downers Grove Fire Department fire truck as classmates awaited their arrival outside.

The students arrived at their schools just as it began earlier this week. They first ate a breakfast of their choice with the firefighters at the fire station. Hayden and Ksenia brought a good friend along for the ride. Gabriella and Lilliana chose to bring a younger sibling along for their rides.

All of the students were accompanied on their ride by their teachers. Everyone was picked up in front of their homes in the Downers Grove Fire Department’s truck driven by Firefighters Dale Smith, Rob Padgett, or Nick Gilbert. Firefighter Smith began the program 20 years ago.

Each child won their trip by entering a Home Escape Fire Safety contest sponsored by the Downers Grove Fire Department. The children and their families tested their smoke alarms, and planned and practiced emergency fire escape routes from their homes.

The contest was open to all third grade students in the Learn Not to Burn program to encourage families to practice home fire drills. Some teachers made it a homework assignment for all of their students.

After reviewing all plans and selecting those showing the best planning, firefighters chose Hayden, Ksenia, Lilliana, and Gabriella’s plans from more than 400 Downers Grove students who sent their entries in to the department, hoping to win a ride to school on a fire truck. The winners were allowed to bring a friend and their teacher along to breakfast and for the fire truck ride. The teachers had as much fun as the students!