Firefighters undergo 240 hours per year of special training, but with a few hours of educating the public, most fires can be prevented.
"Our job is to train others to put ourselves out of business," said Rodney Hartsfield, deputy fire chief. "If we can train them to put the fire out or not to have fires caused, then put us out of business, we want it to happen."
Students combated a flaming bucket with fire extinguishers as fire safety officials monitored their PASS method technique Wednesday morning.
The fire safety demonstration was part of the Theatre Technology I class taught by Robin Jaffe, production manager and faculty technical director for the theatre, and National Campus Fire Safety Month, which takes place during September.
The PASS method is to first Pull the pin on the fire extinguisher, Aim the nozzle or hose at the base of the fire and Squeeze the handle in a Sweeping motion.
Fires require oxygen, fuel and heat, and the object of firefighting is to remove one of the three key elements.
"Put the wet stuff on the red stuff," Hartsfield said is a motto of the Auburn fire department.
Kenny Harrison, University fire safety manager, said poor housekeeping and carelessness are the most easily prevented fire safety hazards.
"Elementary school students are more in tune with fire safety than adults," Harrison said. "And that's sad. But the reason is, once a month, in elementary school--grades K-12--state fire laws requires that a fire drill be made."
Jaffe was involved in a 1999 Auburn Theatre fire that was caused by lighting equipment placed near old curtains.
Most theatre curtains contain fire retardants, Jaffe said, but these curtains were old and needed to be replaced.
Jaffe said because of a lack of experience with theatre equipment, the fire department at the time wasn't sure how to fight the fire.
Jaffe said he was pulled out of an ambulance to help the fire department and put his hands into a flame to pull down the curtain, suffering third degree burns as a result.
"I looked at the flame and I thought, 'this is going to hurt later,'" Jaffe said.
Jaffe said the entertainment aspect of theatre causes them to be around fire hazards frequently, such as during scenes using torches or lanterns and use of hot electrical equipment, and they need to be prepared.
"I don't like fire," said Jessica Cohen, freshman theatre major. "My mom always says that she thinks I was burned in the last life or something, because I have always just been terrified. If the fire alarm goes off at home, I'm out the door."
Hartsfield said he responds to less than one fire a year on campus, but in the community that number is much higher, especially during the colder months.
"Fire safety is not only our responsibility or the fire department's responsibility, it's everyone's responsibility," Harrison said.
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