Plano Literacy Student Saves the day

On April 26, 2005, the classroom lessons and hands-on training Maria Diaz received as part of a special project paid off.

Last fall Maria, a student in the Plano Independent School District’s Even Start Family Literacy Program, received fire safety training from the Plano Fire Department as part of a pilot test for a national project to teach fire safety basics to adults with low literacy skills. The Fire Safety Literacy Project is sponsored by the Home Safety Council, with its national partners ProLiteracy Worldwide, and Oklahoma State University’s Fire Protection Publications with funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Plano project included Even Start classroom lessons on fire safety and home visits by Plano Fire Department personnel to install smoke alarms. Plano Fire Department extended its project when the local Lowe’s Heroes Program offered to donate additional smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. The Fire Department conducted a hands-on fire extinguisher training class for Even Start adult students and all those who were trained received free Kidde fire extinguishers from Lowe’s as part of the Lowe’s Heroes program.

Then on April 26 Maria used the knowledge she gained in the project. A neighbor and friend, Sandra Jones, had a kitchen fire in the apartment next door to Maria. Sandra did not know what to do when her smoke alarm alerted and the kitchen filled with smoke. Maria came to help. Seeing the fire in the kitchen, she ran back to her apartment to get her fire extinguisher and successfully used the fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.

“I had no idea what to do to put the fire out,” said Sandra. “Maria saw the fire and then just disappeared. I didn’t know that she had returned to her apartment to get her fire extinguisher. The next thing I know she is using it to put the fire out.”

The Plano Fire Department and Even Start were one of seven pilot sites teams for the project and the classes were taught beginning in October and ending in December 2004. The Plano Fire Department extended the pilot test with participation from the Lowe’s store at 19210 Preston Road in Dallas.

“I am so grateful to Even Start and to the Plano Fire Department for teaching me how to stay safe and use the fire extinguisher,” said Maria. “I would not have known what to do if I had not learned in class. They made me practice with a real extinguisher to put the fire out at class. Then the Lowe’s people gave me an extinguisher free.”

While the Plano Fire Department and Even Start had worked together in the past, the Fire Safety Literacy Project was a positive way for both groups to work together to help the students in the program. Extending the program through the local Lowe’s partnership was a real advantage and led to Maria’s fire safety success story.

“Maria’s actions are proof of what a collaborative effort between groups like Even Start, Lowe’s and the Plano Fire Department can accomplish,” said Plano Fire Chief Bill Peterson. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Maria saved a great deal that day with what she did. She saved not just property but lives.”

“There is no doubt that this type of collaboration is an excellent example of how communities can come together,” said Jane Lilliston, Even Start Program Coordinator. “All of the staff is very proud of Maria for her determination and quick thinking that day. Many times it is hard for staff to know if students are grasping the concept being taught, but this certainly gives proof to that fact.”

Learn how and when to use a fire extinguisher safely