Since the 1970s, the Fire Prevention School Training Program has been educating young students in Berkeley County on what to do in a fire and that firefighters are there to help them. In 2017 alone, approximately 2,673 kindergartners and first graders in Berkeley County elementary schools participated in the program which is broken up into three parts, said Martinsburg Fire Department’s public education coordinator and firefighter, Joshua Mills.
In the first part, students see a video showing them why it is important to have an escape plan, things they should avoid in their home to prevent fires, the importance of having a meeting place and not to hide from firefighters who are there to help.