DATE: 7/17/07

CONTACT: Bob Richey, (843) 843-821-0950; brichey@sc.rr.com

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741; spalmer@clemson.edu

4-H second chance club gets fire safety training

DORCHESTER COUNTY – 4-H’ers from the Second Chance 4-H club in Dorchester County received intense fire safety training during a week long campout last month.

The Old Fort Fire Department in Summerville provided hands-on training to 16 4-H’ers on what to do in the event of a fire, how to protect themselves, the proper use and safety of fire extinguishers, how the fire truck uses its large water cannon on top of the truck to fight fires.

With the supervision of the firefighters, each 4-H’er, who ranged in age from 5 to 17 years old, was able to put out an actual controlled fire using a fire extinguisher.

“This happened on the same day the nine firefighters in Charleston were killed,” said Bob Richey, 4-H volunteer leader. “One of our 4-her’s father was one of the firemen at the fire that night. He was not injured but had just exited the building before it collapsed.”

As a special thank you to the firefighters for their expertise, patience and time, each club member autographed a photo of one of the learning activities and presented it to six of the Old Fort Fire department stations.

“We want to give a special thanks to Engineer Scott Luedtke and Firefighter Jeff Watson from Station 5 for giving their time and efforts to the club,” said Richey.

Other activities included a field trip to Cypress Gardens where they had an up close and educational experience with wildlife animals and to Bee City where they learned about bee pollination and how honey bees affect the taste of the food they eat.

4-H programs are primarily conducted at the local level and led by county Extension 4-H agents and the volunteers they recruit and train. Nearly 4,000 adult volunteers serve 4-H annually, with the average adult volunteer donating 220 hours a year preparing for club meetings and teaching youths.

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