Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
JIMCO FIRE PROTECTION HOSTS FIELD TRIPS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN
At this year’s National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Conference & Expo, Bob Caputo, CFPS, president of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), attended a seminar on building awareness about the fire protection industry and sprinklers. He was surprised to hear it recommended that education begin in elementary school—as young as second grade. “The speaker said talking to high school students or even those in middle school was too late,” Caputo remembers. “It was shocking that we needed to lay the groundwork so early, and it got me thinking about what we as an association could do and what our members could do.”
Little did Caputo know, one AFSA Contractor member was already doing just that! Jimco Fire Protection, Inc. in Au Gres, Mich., has hosted second-graders from his local elementary school for many years.
“We bring kids in and give them on a tour of the facility—our offices and fabrication shop,” says Greg Dittenber, co-owner and vice president of Jimco. “It’s developed over the years into an interactive event. Our designer shows them how we draw things out on a computer. We show them a sprinkler plan for our building, and the kids find the sprinkler heads on the drawing and then on our ceiling. We finish with a video of a side-by-side burn demonstration and a snack. Each child also takes a goodie bag to home with trinkets from our vendors and information about fire safety and fire sprinklers.”
Dittenber says he’s always surprised by how interested and engaged the children are. “They ask good questions; it seems to resonate with them. When they leave here, they know what a sprinkler is and does, and we’ve dispelled the myths they’ve seen and heard.”
The field trip is part of the local elementary school’s annual outing, during which students visit local businesses and learn more about their community. Dittenber and his wife Carla collect items for their goodies bags when attending events such as AFSA43.
They encourage other AFSA members and chapters to consider putting on this type of event. “We didn’t know what to do the first year we were asked to participate. We threw something together, and it worked. Now, everyone here looks forward to it! It’s a pretty easy thing to put on, and it’s teaching these kids about fire safety and this industry.”
