DLES third-graders work to help NY firefighters
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These were just a few of the probing questions asked of Metro Nashville firefighters today by students in Phyllis Sanders''s third grade class at David Lipscomb Elementary School.
Led by Chief Lee Bergeron, the seven firefighters, EMTs and paramedics talked about their work and answered questions raised in the students' minds by last week's terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C.
"The children think concretely, at this age, and they want to know numbers," Sanders said. "They need to know who survived, who didn't, how many, how many people are in need. But I think today has changed their thinking where it's not about numbers any more. They see how important service jobs are to our community."
The firefighters visited at Mrs. Sanders' request because of a special project her students were working on -- preparing special T-shirts to be sent to New York firefighters. The shirts featured a portion of Psalm 143, verses 5-6: "Consider the work of your hands. I spread my hands to you," plus the handprints and signature of one student per shirt.
"I want to somehow, in a concrete way, help the children deal with what happened and let them feel that they have actually touched the lives of the firefighters, actually touched them with their hands. I also want them to feel an appreciation for all the firefighters have done," Sanders said.
Student Meredith Harwell got the point of the activity.
"Mrs. Sanders said she wanted to do something more than just writing a letter. She wanted to, like, actually give them something.
"We get to put paint on our hands and put our handprints and our name on them, and we're going to write letters to the firefighters and we're going to send T-shirts to the New York firefighters, and it's going to be fun," said student Meredith Harwell.
And how did Meredith think that would make the firefighters feel?
"Good," she said.
Firefighters handed out red plastic fire hats to each child and answered questions for about 15 minutes.
"It makes you feel proud of the kind of work you do," Bergeron said, in response to the question about the impact on local firefighters. "We don't ever want anything bad to happen in our community, but when it does, we hope that all our training pays off.
"We have mixed emotions. We know that those firefighters, those men and women that went to that fire (in the World Trade Center) made a difference in those people's lives. So that makes you proud, but then we're all sad because so many people lost their lives," Bergeron said.
Paramedic John Norman said it was "an honor" to visit with the children and assure them their fire department is always ready to answer their calls for help.
"They want to know they are safe in their home and community, and they're also showing compassion and concern for the ones that were injured or are still working at the disaster sites, and that make my heart feel good," Norman said.
He said firefighters have a consistent message for children.
"Always listen to your parents, your adult leaders, your Sunday School teachers, the adults in whose care you are put so you will be safe. They have the knowledge and the wisdom to take care of you," Norman said.
Watching her children move around the room and get firefighters' autographs led Sanders to a new realization, she said.
"They are their new heroes. They will cherish those autographs, where, a week ago, we might not have been so conscious of how important our firefighters are to us.
"I didn't dream of what would happen here today. It made our local firemen heroes," she said.