Students at Falk-Mullen participated in Safety Week, an interactive learning experience to help them understand how to stay safe in a variety of situations. Throughout Safety Week, students explored bus, internet, animal, police and fire safety. Each day offered a new opportunity to learn important life skills in engaging ways.
On Thursday, students welcomed Officer Balling from the City of Tonawanda Police Department for a lesson on police safety. Officer Balling discussed road signs, traffic lights, bicycle safety, railroad crossings and even demonstrated some of the equipment he uses on the job. He also taught the students a crucial lesson about when and how to call 911.
The students were eager to ask questions, covering everything from “When did you know you wanted to be a police officer?” to “Do you like driving a police car?”
Officer Balling answered every question with patience and humor, helping students feel comfortable and curious about the role of police in the community.
The following day, students learned about fire safety with Ed and Matt Jackson from the North Evans Fire Department. This father and son duo shared what it’s like to be part of a family tradition of service. Matt demonstrated the heavy, protective gear firefighters wear when entering a burning building and gave students high fives to show that there’s nothing to fear when firefighters are in uniform.
The duo emphasized the importance of having working smoke detectors and a home escape plan in case of a fire. To end the visit, students got to try on the firefighter’s helmets and jackets.
From learning how to stay safe online to meeting real life first responders, Safety Week at Falk Mullen was about more than just information, it was about building trust and lifelong safety habits in a fun and meaningful way.