Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Department Lt. John Sines answers a question from a child at the Shepherdstown Public Library on Oct. 13. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — In honor of October being National Fire Prevention Month, the Shepherdstown Public Library collaborated with the Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Department to host a fire safety workshop for kids on Oct. 13.

Youth Services Librarian Jessie Ward said the goal of the event was to help local families prepare for possible emergency situations to occur.

“It is all about getting kids and their parents to start thinking about things related to fire safety. It is so important to talk about this topic with children, so they know what to do if they’re caught in a fire,” Ward said.

The event drew around 150 attendees. The majority of them were homeschoolers, which Ward said was something she was particularly pleased to see.

“This particular event was planned with homeschoolers in mind — we have a large homeschooling community in the area, who need to be informed about fire safety practices,” Ward said. “The different elementary schools and day care centers have fire safety programs, so I wanted to hold one for the homeschoolers to benefit from.”

Three-year-old Emelia Unger sits in the front seat of a fire engine for the first time, by the Shepherdstown Public Library on Oct. 13. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

She noted that this was the first fire safety workshop the library has hosted. Prior to this, the library had only hosted one other event featuring the Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) — a meet-and-greet during the 2024 Summer Reading program.

One of the homeschoolers to benefit from attending the event was kindergartner Siena Sarnowski. She could be found filling out a fire safety plan coloring sheet with the help of her mother, Charles Town resident Crista Sarnowski.

“This is a great event for kids. It helps them learn that firefighters aren’t scary — that they’re here to help,” Crista said. “This event will give her the exposure that she needs, to recognize a firefighter. If there is ever a situation where a fire did happen, she will now know who to go to for help.”

According to SVFD Lt. John Sines, children far too often run from a firefighter in emergency situations, due to fear of their unfamiliar uniforms. He narrated what was going on, as fellow firefighter Jaden Cook methodically put on a firefighting uniform in front of the kids.

“You can see that fireman Jay is just a normal person. When he puts on this gear, he’s making sure that he will be protected when he goes in to help, when there is a fire,” Sines said. “We don’t want to be scared of him. He’s here to help.”

Kindergartener Siena Sarnowski fills out a Fire Safety Plan coloring sheet with the help of her mother, Charles Town resident Crista Sarnowski, in the Shepherdstown Public Library on Oct. 13. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

A second demonstration of how a fire, if on an individual’s clothes or hair, can be put out using the stop, drop and roll technique was presented by firefighter Paul Cosco.

“It’s important that everybody knows how to deal with fire, in the safest way possible. It can be such a scary thing for kids to experience,” Cosco said. “That’s why we do these kinds of events so frequently.”

Sines noted that this was likely the seventh such experience the SVFD has given this year, with all of the others being at nearby schools and day care centers.

“The younger the children are, the better, to introduce them to this subject. At this age, they get so excited over fire trucks and want to learn more,” Sines said. “They bring that home with them, which often drives their parents to take their own fire safety preparations more seriously.”