Brookville Fire Department Captain Chad Ferguson gives a report on this year’s fire prevention program in the schools.
Terry Baver | The Register-Herald
BROOKVILLE — Brookville Fire Department Captain Chad Ferguson informed council the department recently completed the fire prevention program.
“We did things a little different with the elementary kids this year,” Ferguson advised.
“In years past we have always borrowed the fire safety house from Butler Township and took an engine to the school,” Ferguson said.
“We usually gave a two-minute presentation and then let them crawl through the house and see the truck,” Ferguson said.
This year, Ferguson said he didn’t bring the safety house for the kids to explore.
Instead, Ferguson said he went to each elementary classroom and talked to the students about 30-40 minutes about fire safety and prevention.
“Talking to the students, especially the older ones, was a lot more beneficial,” Ferguson said.
“In years past, the students were sitting in the safety house looking at everything and not really paying attention to what I was saying,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson said he received positive feedback from the teachers, who told him “the students enjoyed the classroom atmosphere and that type of learning.”
“This is probably the route we will keep using from now on,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson indicated he talked to more than 500 students at the elementary school about fire safety and prevention.
“We also do community preschool and a few other home school groups where the kids will come to the firehouse for their fire prevention program,” Ferguson said.
“All in all, there were probably 900 kids we did the fire prevention program for this year,” Ferguson said.
In business matters, council heard the first reading of an ordinance establishing the zoning classification for the 113.562 acres of land in Perry Township recently annexed to the city of Brookville.
The property is located between Heckathorn Road and the Wolf Creek bike trail.
“Planning commission made an initial recommendation of R-1A (suburban residential district) for this land at its Oct. 19 meeting,” law director Rod Stephan said.
“A public hearing on this ordinance will be held Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. to receive public comments on the proposed zoning of this land,” Stephan continued.
The annexation was approved by the Montgomery County Commissioners on Aug. 1.
Brookville council accepted the annexation of the property at its Oct. 17 meeting.
Stephan said the property owner, JLR Leasing LLC, which is managed by John Ritter, plans to construct a meeting facility for an area church
Stephan said the property owner requested the annexation in order to obtain city water and sanitary sewer services.
Stephan said the meeting center will contain meeting rooms and a recreation area.
“It is expected the meeting center will occupy approximately five to seven acres,” Stephan said.
