Fruitland Mo kids learn school bus and fire safety at back to school bash

FRUITLAND, Mo. (KBSI)– Kids in Fruitland got a head start on school safety during the Back to School Bash, with a special focus on school bus safety.

The Fruitland Fire Protection District teamed up with certified instructors from Jackson to teach children the basics of school bus safety.

“Today we are doing a back to school bash. Our main focus is going to be on school bus safety for the kids,” firefighter and paramedic Adam Hilse said. “We want to make sure the kids stay safe while they’re on the bus.”

Hilse said knowing what to do in an emergency can make all the difference.

“It’s really important that they know this information because if an incident does happen, we want the kids to stay calm and know that there’s a plan in place,” he said.

In addition to bus safety, children also learned fire safety skills by crawling through a smokehouse filled with fog to simulate a house fire.

“They can get an idea of what they need to do if that happens, how to stay low and crawl out of a building,” Hilse said.

The bash also featured a special appearance by Marshall, the district’s fire dog, bringing smiles to everyone in attendance.