Student named Fire Chief for a day

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on November 3, 2023.

Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman Ryan Davenport, a front and centre wearing a fire helmet, and his classmates pose with fire department mascot Sparky following Davenport's appointment as Fire Chief for a Day on Thursday at Mike Mountain Horse Elementary School.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services awarded a Grade 1 student at Mike Mountain Horse Elementary School its Fire Chief for a Day on Thursday, and presented him with a Fire Department costume.

Members of the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, along with their mascot Sparky, visited the Grade 1 class to award Ryder Davenport with his title of Fire Chief for a Day Thursday afternoon.

Davenport shyly spoke to reporters and said he was excited to have won the title and the costume. A big smile crossed his face when he was told the award also included a ride in a fire truck.

Fire prevention officer Neil Jesse said Davenport received the award after his name was selected from a draw. This is a tradition of the Fire Department for over 15 years.

“It’s a draw that we do every year for Fire Prevention Week which runs from Oct. 8 for a week at that time, and we hand safety packages to all the elementary schools in Lethbridge and they all fill out papers to put into a draw. And a student for Mike Mountain Horse was the winner this year,” said Jesse.

He said they also celebrated the winner with a pizza party in his classroom, with pizza and juice boxes provided by Panago Pizza.

“One of the things that Fire Prevention Week is for, it’s to really promote with the public safety of preventing fires and one of the things that we like to do is touch base with kids, and make sure that they have escape routes in their house,” said Jesse.

He said it is important for everyone in the community to be aware of fire safety and being aware of evacuation plans wherever they are. And with Daylight Saving Time ending this weekend, Jesse had a few tips on how to stay on top of fire prevention.

“Fire Prevention always likes to remind everybody to check your batteries. It’s a good time to change your batteries in your smoke detectors and then you’re good for another six months,” said Jesse.

 He said now that cold weather is upon us and people are starting to use space heaters, and other methods to stay warm it is a good idea to make sure all smoke detectors are in top condition with fresh batteries.

 “It’s always good to refresh your safety equipment within your house. Check your fire extinguishers, make sure that your smoke detectors are running as smoke detectors do have an expiration date of 10 years,” said Jesse.

 He said those who have been in a house for over 10 years and have never replace their smoke detectors should do so.

Follow @APulidoHerald on Twitter