Los Angeles County Firefighters Ignite Love of Reading

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LOS ANGELES, California

March 3, 2010

Across the region this week, 22 engine companies of Los Angeles County firefighters rolled up their fire station doors and jumped on their rigs to respond to local elementary schools. Nothing was on fire, but sparks of excitement did fly when firefighters walked into elementary school classrooms to read to students as part of the National Education Association's "Read Across America" program. This year, the Los Angeles County Fire Department joined the program's family of community partners and supporters.

"The Los Angeles County Fire Department is proud to serve as a new partner for Read Across America and the California Teachers Association," said Public Affairs Battalion Chief Bill Niccum. "When our firefighters are not working to save lives and property, they enjoy every opportunity to step into classrooms everywhere to help teach fire and life safety – especially to children."

This year's theme, "Serve Up A Good Book," was inspired by the popular children's book, Armadilly Chili, just one of the great books on the reading list to ignite the love of reading. In East Los Angeles, Fire Captain Derek Alkonis and his crew from Fire Station 3 traveled to nearby Kennedy Elementary School to spend time with the students and serve as good "reading role models."

The program recommends that parents start as early as infancy to reach to their child – even as young as six weeks. From early on, children should own books, be read to often, and see others reading and writing, according to the California Teachers Association.

Photo Credit: John DeLeon, LACoFD Photographer - Crew of FireStation 3 Stages at  Kennedy Elementary School Library