Fire Safety Demonstration Ignites a Chord With MPowering Kids

June 12, 2007

Roger Goodwin wears many hats, businessman, MPowering Kids Board Member and volunteer fireman. He recently donned his fireman’s helmet and armed with a fire resistant coat and full fire gear-including air pack, met with the students of MPowering Kids for his annual talk and demonstration on fire safety.

Mr. Goodwin is the Second Deputy Chief of the Plandome Volunteer Fire Department where he has been a member for 12 years. He brought many of the tools he uses when battling fires. The children were amazed to learn of all the gear firemen must wear when fighting a fire. The students were allowed to try on the gear and many struggled with the pure weight of the equipment. Among the fire safety lessons the children learned was the importance of staying low in a fire, to stay calm, and to get out of the building as quickly as possible.

“The children learned a valuable lesson today,” said Susan Marshall, founder of MPowering Kids. “We are grateful to Roger for taking such an active role and for taking the time to work with them in person. He has made a tremendous impact on the students of MPowering Kids through his continued support.”

“The students of MPowering Kids have so much promise and are doing well academically because of the tutoring and mentoring they receive after-school from MPowering Kids. These children are so enthusiastic about learning, that it’s a great experience to teach them about fire safety.” Mr. Goodwin emphasized the importance of each family having a home fire escape plan. He handed out fire safety homework and encouraged them to make a plan with their families to be prepared if a fire occurs. He also asked the children to check how many smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors were in each child’s home. All these tips are sure to help the students stay safe in the future.