By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
ROCKEFELLER CENTER — Hundreds of kids from city public schools were sworn in as junior firefighters Tuesday as part of the FDNY's celebration of Fire Prevention Week.
Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano read the 300 students their oath, which made them promise not to play with matches and to make a fire safety plan with their parents.
FDNY fire safety mascot Hot Dog helped the children learned about fire safety with demonstrations of rescue situations, interactions with firefighers and the gear they use, and an instructional performance by a rapping fireman.
"This is a very big week for us each year, and reaching out to kids is so important," Commissioner Cassano said.
"We make it fun for the kids by bringing in Hot Dog and giving the children red helmets, but we want them to know that fire safety is a serious topic. If we can reach children so they can bring home what they've learned to their parents, we've accomplished a big goal," he added.
The FDNY's Fire Safety Education unit will be hosting events throughout the five boroughs all week as part of a nationwide focus on fire prevention.
National Fire Prevention Week was established more than 80 years ago to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire that killed hundreds of people in 1871. Fire departments nationwide spend this week informing their communities about the importance of fire safety.
