Central School kids learn about some important numbers
Published on January 30th, 2008
STONEHAM, MA - Central School students want Stoneham citizens to realize that unnumbered homes can lead to far more dangerous consequences than the arrival of a cold pizza from a late delivery man.
In fact, properly numbered homes could save your life, the elementary school students recently learned.
According to Stoneham Fire Chief Joseph Rolli, he can recall many occasions when fire crews responded to calls, only to lose precious time while trying to locate a residence.
For medical emergencies, where seconds could be the difference between life and death, firefighters are often delayed by the lack of street numbers on residences.
"A lot of times, we go out on calls and there are no numbers on houses. And for a medical call, you need a quick response time," the fire chief explained.
"It don't recall a tragedy that happened because we couldn't find a home, but when you're working the street, it does happen," Rolli added. "It's frustrating, because you know someone called for help. And an extra second for us is like a minute for them."
With the help of some energetic Central School students, Rolli believes that more awareness of the issue may reverse the dangerous trend.
According to the fire chief, he was recently approached by Central School PTO officer Susan O'Neil, who extended the support of the elementary school pupils.
Rolli jumped at the chance, and the firefighting and school communities tackled the problem with a two-pronged approach.
First younger Central School students all went home and began spreading the message with their families, while the fourth and fifth grade population put their artistic talents to work by creating posters.
"They made some really creative posters. And I think it brought about awareness, because a lot of them did go home and ask their parents," said O'Neil.
"I'm sensitive to this because my father and brother are firefighters. It's easy when you have a fire or you can see smoke, but when you have medical calls, those seconds or minutes really do make a difference," the PTO officer added.
The posters, now completed, will be displayed in the Stoneham library, Town Hall, and within each of the communities school buildings.
And according to Rolli, if just one person tacks on their address to the front of their home because of the Central School project, the coordinated effort was a great success.
"It was great working with the kids," the fire chief recalled. "We like to do all our fire safety and education with the kids, because they're good purveyors of information. They're our conduit to the parents."
According to O'Neil, the recent Central School program is part of a larger drive to encourage Stoneham's student population to give back to the community they live in.
The idea sprung from a United Council meeting of school parents last fall, where proponents suggested that each school community adopt a town department.
The recent Central School activities were the first of many to follow, as other projects with the Senior Center, police and public works departments, and other municipal officers are being planned.
"One of the things we talked about last fall was that the children didn't have the sense of community that they did in the past," O'Neil explained. "We decided to have a rolling project moving forward."
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