Young Burney students thrilled to meet local “Community Helpers”
BURNEY, Calif., — Kindergarten students at Burney Elementary were delighted yesterday when local law enforcement and fire officials showed up at the school to participate in a show-and-tell that allowed the children to get up close and personal with the first responders; along with their equipment, vehicles, and various tools of the trade they employ in their daily duties serving the Intermountain area communities.
LEADING THE SCNS HEADLINES:
Driver dead after fiery Shingletown rollover accident
Redding road rage collision leads to arrest of “heavily intoxicated” man
Ten recent Mt. Shasta arrests include man’s 9th and 10th arrests since June
Anderson City Council unanimously votes Jon Poletski to position of Police Chief
Called “one man crime wave” by judge, J. Tucker Bellegante sentenced to more than 10 years
At the beginning of school yesterday morning, Burney’s youngest and newest students were thrilled when a big, shiny-red fire engine and pair of squeaky-clean sheriff’s patrol trucks pulled onto the school’s campus to participate in the day’s special “Community Helpers” event.
Burney Elementary students were thrilled to climb around inside two patrol vehicles and a fire engine yesterday morning’s “Community Helpers” event and were seen plugging their ears and squealing in delight when firefighters showed just how loud their sirens were. Tara Aderman photo
Members of Burney Fire Protection District and Shasta County Sheriff’s Office had been invited to the campus to meet the school’s kindergartners and help illustrate some of the recent lessons learned in the classroom about community helpers, Burney Fire Chief Monte Keady told SCNS of the special event and morning’s activities.
“These lessons will lead into the lessons on Fire Safety as October 3-9 is National Fire Prevention Week,” the Chief explained.
“The students were able to watch a firefighter put on his emergency response gear and see all the tools carried on the fire truck,” he continued. “At the end of the tour the students were treated to the lights and sirens of both the law enforcement patrol cars and fire engine.
“It is always fun to see the wonder in the eyes of the children when they see a fire engine up close for the first time,” the Chief added; saying, “This is something they may have only seen in books or on television.”
In the first photo, Burney Fire Protection District Chief Monte B. Keady (R) discusses the various pieces of protective gear and clothing that firefighters wear as Cadet Cody Ford (L) demonstrates putting all that heavy gear on. The second photo shows Cadet Ford crawling on the ground, as if avoiding smoke and heat from a fire. BFPD photos
During the morning’s activities, kindergartners were given opportunity to climb into the various vehicles and were seen tooting the emergency vehicles’ special horns, activating their lights and sirens, and using the sheriff’s PA system to warn any nearby bad guys that they were under arrest!
Students were especially excited when badge stickers made their way through the group, with many of them proudly displaying those badges for hours after the event.
Parents who later arrived at the end of the school day were also delighted to hear of their children’s fun day and all the exciting new things they had learned.
About yesterday’s event, Burney’s new principle Tara Aderman – who just began working at the campus this year – told SCNS, “Our wonderful Kindergarten teachers set up this visit to support their Community Helper learning unit.”
“This was such a spectacular opportunity for our Jr. Raiders to meet our community heroes and learn more about the vital job our local Sheriffs Department and Fire Department perform every day to help keep us all safe,” she explained; adding, “We are so appreciative to all involved that took time out of their very busy days to visit our Kindergarten classes.”
IN OTHER LOCAL SCHOOL NEWS: Intermountain area football – Bulldogs & Cards win, Raiders fall to powerhouse Redding Christian
One kindergartner, 5-year-old Mason, later shared his thoughts about the special event, telling SCNS this morning, “It was so neat and I had so much fun!
“We got to meet the firemen and they put their sirens on!”, he enthused; saying, “They were really loud!”
Mason said his favorite part was getting to meet the deputies, with him explaining, “I want to be a police someday, just like my Papa!”
Mason’s mom, Amber, added that she was excited to hear of her son’s fun day and said that the day’s activities were all her “future policeman” could talk about after he came home.
“He ran all over the yard with his friends making siren sounds and ‘arresting bad guys’ after getting home from school,” she said; adding that he then spent the rest of the night proudly showing off his shiny badge sticker to anyone who would look.
“I am just so happy our school has events and programs like this, to help introduce our kids to their local emergency first responders,” she explained.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.