Fire Academy Makes Strongsville Kids Firefighters

STRONGSVILLE, OH — For the second year running, fourth and fifth graders in Strongsville will have the chance to live out their dreams and become firefighters for a day or two. The Kids Fire Academy will be held June 22 and June 23 and will see kids get sworn in as honorary firefighters by Mayor Tom Perciak.

The idea behind the Academy came last year, because Strongsville firefighter Matt Schenek's own son was ecstatic whenever he visited his dad at work. The boy, then in fourth grade, loved visiting the fire station and the police station. Schenek wanted to give that feeling to all of the kids in Strongsville.

"The freedom of him coming to the fire station, at will, I thought that would be neat to pass on," Schenek told Patch.

Participants at the Academy will get the full firefighter experience. After being sworn in by Perciak, the kids will split into two groups. The first group will get a tour of the fire station while the second group will be driven around in a reserve engine, giving them a chance to ride in a fire truck.

The groups will then be given a quick, hands-only, CPR class. "That's just something for them to see," Schenek told Patch. "They won't get certified, obviously."

The fourth and fifth graders will also learn how to use fire extinguishers before the real treat. Both groups will be sent into the Strongsville Fire Department's training tower to conduct a mock search in an apartment. Volunteers will run a fog machine, to create a harmless smoke effect, and the attendees will search for a teddy bear.

At the end of the day, Marco's pizza will be delivered and everyone will chow down.

The attendees will also receive T-shirts, courtesy of firefighters local 2082.

"The union has a strong involvement in this," Schenek said.

All of the firefighters at the Academy will be off-duty volunteers and no emergency services will be impacted.

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