Throughout Fire Prevention week, October 5-11, members of the Big Lake Fire Department visited students at Liberty Elementary to speak to them about fire safety and fire prevention, emphasizing the need to have a home escape plan and to practice it.  

Firefighters gave children a sheet to complete with their parents to create an escape plan for their home.  To incentivize students, a contest was created.  If students completed the worksheet and brought it to the BLFD during their annual open house, they would be entered into a drawing to receive a ride to school in a fire truck on Halloween, Oct. 31,2025.

The sun was not even up when contest winners Maizey, Nash, Amelia, Lillian, Evan, Henry, Madelyn, and Mason arrived at the Big Lake Fire Station at 7 a.m.  Sleepy faces dragged backpacks and entered the firehouse with their parents.  When Captains Sam Hanson and Nick Christenson, Lt. Eric Rosa, and FF Michael Houts greeted them, they were quiet and shy, but that soon changed.  Within moments of seeing the three fire trucks that would bring them to school, they came alive and the garage buzzed with excitement.

The winners walked around investigating everything and parents took pictures before the children were asked to choose which of the three fire trucks, they wanted to ride in.  They departed the station at 7:10 a.m. and arrived at Liberty Elementary at 7:15 a.m. before the regular buses would begin lining up.  Liberty Principal Teresa Smock-Potter greeted students and a small crowd lined up at the entrance to see the students who got to begin their school day in a very unique way. 

Minutes later, the fire fighters returned to the station.  When asked how he thought the event went, Hanson said, “That was great!  That was a lot of fun!” 

Event coordinator Rosa noted that the kids were super excited during the ride and hoped to do it again next year.  

“We really appreciated the contest because it sparked some good interactions at home about fire safety,”   Rosa said.   

Judging from everyone’s reaction to the contest, it looks like BLFD will be doing it again next year.