Athletes stop, drop and roll
Fire engines and sirens, oh my! It's Fire Prevention Week on the Downtown Mall, and the University's Student Athlete Mentors, along with Captain's Council, are adding fuel to the fire.
"We're educating kids," said men's track team captain Marion Mason, a fourth-year College student. "The most important thing is knowing you're possibly saving lives."
Yesterday Mason led kids through the fire safety trailer, a downscale model of a room that simulates a house fire.
This week, University student-athletes will help kids navigate the trailer as non-toxic smoke fills the room. Once the smoke detector goes off, the children must then escape through a window.
"The trailer really teaches a child the correct behavior to escape a fire," Battalion Chief Charles Werner of the Charlottesville Fire Department said.
Another feature in the trailer is a heated door. Mason said he taught kids how to feel the back of the door with their hand to check if it's hot - a sign that a fire may be in the next room."
"We're taking five minutes out to show these kids how to survive," Mason said.
Werner added that the University athletes have helped draw people to the event, dubbed "The Great Escape." It continues through Saturday.
Compiled by Josie Roberts
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