Dozens of preschool teachers gathered at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Sept. 1 to learn more about fire safety and other disaster response techniques, as part of an emergency Preparedness Training session held by LAUP.

During this free event, members of the Los Angeles Fire Department led an exercise demonstrating how to safely put out fires using fire extinguishers. LAUP preschool teachers took turns extinguishing a controlled fire set ablaze by the firefighters in a parking lot. The teachers also received instruction through lectures in a classroom setting on how to best keep their classrooms safe.

“The event was a great success, as our preschool teachers left more informed about how to best prepare for and react in case of an emergency,” said Edenn Vidrio, Special Initiatives Supervisor. “They understand the importance of being prepared to make sure they and their students are safe in an event of an emergency, such as a fire or an earthquake.”

This event is one of four that LAUP is holding throughout Los Angeles County to better prepare preschool teachers for emergencies.

By attending one of these four sessions, LAUP providers will move one step closer towards meeting California Title 22 regulations requiring staff knowledge of emergency preparedness, said Dr. Joel Di Santi, LAUP’s Health and Wellness Specialist.