PORT ANGELES — Maybe it was the second helping of ice cream — or that sunny, 80-degree weather.
The students in Cynthia Green’s second-grade class were buzzing with excitement on Wednesday after winning a homework contest that taught them how to escape from a home fire.
“I learned how to jump out my window,” said Justice Maybury, as he inhaled his ice cream on the front lawn of Franklin Elementary School in Port Angeles.
“I like jumping out my window, because it’s kind of fun.”
“You should never jump out your window unless you have a ladder,” added Jade Weaver, referring to second-story rooms.
“Feel the door handle first,” said Zaine Raymond. “If it’s hot, and you’re in your room, go out the window.”
After a recent field trip to the Port Angeles Fire Station, the 21 students in Green’s class completed a homework assignment that included a drill called “Exit Drills In the Home,” or EDITH.
“This whole class, 100 percent of them, returned their homework,” Port Angeles Police Chief Terry Gallagher said.
The class with the highest percentage of completed homework assignments wins an ice cream picnic — including chocolate sauce, whip cream and candy sprinkles — served by Port Angeles firefighters.
“That ice cream cooled me down a little bit, but now it’s hot again,” Weaver said.
The field trip and exit drill for second-graders is part of a 70-year tradition in Port Angeles, said Port Angeles Fire Captain Terry Reid.
“This is really our one chance to affect people’s behavior in their home,” Reid said after dishing up ice cream with fellow firefighters Dave Chastain, Eric Sundin and Jake Patterson.
Students know exactly what to do in a fire drill at school, but contingency plans for the home are a different story, Gallagher said.
Reid estimates that 15 percent to 20 percent of families have an exit plan at home.
“We’re trying to get that 80 percent,” Reid said of the fire department’s largest public education program.
The homework assignment had five parts:
• Check smoke detectors.
• Draw a map of your home and a family meeting place.
• Draw two escape routes of your bedroom.
• Pretend to be asleep, have someone sound the smoke detector and practice getting out of the house.
• Discuss how to exit the house if you can’t get out of your bedroom.
Reid praised Green’s class for its perfect score.
“It’s hard to get people to do a drill like that,” he said.
“People are busy with sports and other events.”
Green said her class was “very excited” about winning the ice cream and that they learned valuable information in the process.
“I think it’s so important they keep doing this for the second-graders,” Green said.
Second-grader Jaden Henry summarized what she learned.
“If there’s a fire near the door, don’t go out of it,” she said with confidence.
“Just break a window and go out that.”
Joseph Yates said he learned: “To not open a door when it’s hot.”
The firefighters left the school with their sirens blazing to respond to a call. The students waved goodbye and returned to their ice cream, a little more prepared for a home fire.
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
