Firefighters Help Educate NC Summer School Students

CHAPEL HILL -- The room went dark at Chapel Hill Public Library, but visitors had no problem seeing each other.

A thermal imaging camera made that possible.

The TIC -- as it's called by some -- was one of the main attractions during an event about how science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M.) are woven into the work firefighters do every day.

"So cool!" said one boy as he looked through the thermal imaging camera screen and saw the outline of his fellow students.

The camera is an important part of firefighters' gear, helping them see through smoke and rescue victims.

"It's important to know how things work in real-world scenarios," said Interim Battalion Chief Paul Moss of the Chapel Hill Fire Department, which partnered with the library for the event.

Stephanie Halpin, S.T.E.M. coordinator for Granville County Schools, said the goal was to "get kids engaged in learning during the summer."

"There's so much S.T.E.M. in firefighting," she said. "For example, knowing how to calculate water pressure during a fire and know which nozzle to use."

Halpin said a lot of technology and engineering goes into building a fire truck.

"Our goal is to show how science and math are integrated in every part of life," she added.

Another popular feature was a display of three different-sized smoke boxes -- containers with chimney-like pipes that show how smoke travels and escapes.

"This goes back to why we ask people to crawl on the floor in a fire, because the smoke stays at the top," said Keith Porterfield, training chief for the department. "If they stand up and run, they're putting their heads where the smoke is."

Fire officials also lit candles to show that the smoke they produce is a fuel that burns and can injure. They also demonstrated how smoke alarms work.

Leif Rasmussen, 13, said he enjoys coming to library events.

"I'm interested in science and engineering," he said. "Maybe after this, I'll be interested in firefighting, too."

His 9-year-old brother, Silas, said he enjoys the sound of fire trucks as they race to a fire. He said he likes the Carolina-blue paint on the trucks, but added he'd also like them if they were red or Duke blue.

Grafton Corbett, 12, was intrigued with firefighters' air packs and how technology enables them to receive data about fuel levels and communicate with their bosses outside a burning building.

"I wanted to grow up to be a fireman," Grafton said. "I learned that there's a lot of technology behind it."

For Ali Dogan's 7-year-old son, Galip, technology could be the key to a happier future.

"He'd like to invent a flying car," Dogan said. "He sees traffic jams and wants to get home faster to watch his cartoons."

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