Opening day at the fair, fire safety and more

Here we are on the first day of the 2007 Minnesota State Fair! The weather is a bit rainy but that doesn’t seem to be keeping people from the Education Building. So far we have had many interested visitors to our booth and it’s been fun to chat and see what they have to say!

I talked with a senior from Rosemount High School who has attended Normandale Community College as a PSEO student her junior year. She told me it’s been a great way to get ahead on college credits before graduating from high school. And, the best part, it’s free!! The PSEO program allows high schoolers (juniors and seniors) to attend classes for college credit…free!

Another big part of our booth this year is the first responder’s area. I had the opportunity to talk with Bruce Roed, who is the Northern District Coordinator at the Fire/EMS/Safety Center. He was working at the Fire Safety table, which is located inside our booth, and told me a little about the programs that are offered through Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.

Trustee James Van Houten acts as master of ceremonies for the wheel of luck.

To become a volunteer firefighter, there are 12 programs throughout the state that offer classes part-time. He explained that many times people who have always wanted to be a firefighter, but never had the opportunity, enter these programs to pursue their passion.

The fire safety booth staff also brought along firefighter gear, which fair-goers had a blast trying on. So, of course I had to give it a try. I didn’t expect the gear to be so heavy! Bruce explained there are many parts to the uniform including the jacket, helmet, boots, SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) and pants, which altogether weigh just about 80 pounds!

There is also a model fire-safety house at the booth where visitors can create scenarios for the proper way to escape in a fire.

That’s all for now. I’m looking forward to a great day again tomorrow! Hope you can join us.

More about Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.