PERU — The Dixfield Fire Department visited Dirigo Elementary School this week as part of an annual program to teach fire safety and prevention.

Capt. Jason Hyde and firefighter Dan Carrier, who took over the fire prevention program five years ago, brought two firetrucks to show how they run. Carrier, working with the aid of junior firefighters from Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico and the Western Foothills Junior Firefighter program in Dixfield, set up a fire hose behind the trucks so students could experience what it is like to spray water.

Carrier said students of all ages seem receptive to the demonstrations.

“We took the sixth-grade class to the old Peru Elementary School building on Wednesday and filled it up with theatrical smoke,” Carrier said. “We built a little maze inside and they got to experience what it’s like to be stuck in a smoky building and how to feel the walls to make their way out.”

There was also a fire extinguisher demonstration, which Carrier said allowed the students to practice the P.A.S.S method, which stands for press, aim, squeeze and sweep.

Hyde said lately he’s heard too much about younger children playing with matches and lighters, and these fire prevention weeks allow the department to promote fire safety to children at a much younger age.

“I learned fire prevention from my dad,” Hyde said, “and I try to incorporate what I learned from him in my lessons to these students.”

The younger students were able to walk around and sit inside a ladder truck, while Carrier explained the function of certain tools. One was a down-rigger, which is a large metal kickstand that keeps the truck steady while the ladder is in use, and another was a positive pressure fan to clear heavy smoke from a house.

“Will it blow the house down?” a prekindergarten student asked.

Carrier smiled and said, “No, it won’t blow your house down. It just clears the smoke out so the firefighters can see better.”

Jon Longley, a firefighter and fire science instructor at Region 9, said the demonstrations are a great way to teach younger children about fire safety and a great experience for the local junior firefighters. He lauded the efforts of other towns in the region coming together to donate equipment to the fire science class, such as a fire engine, self-contained breathing apparatuses and other tools.

Hyde also led an indoor demonstration on how to do stop, drop and roll, and showed how firefighters put on their gear. Students and teachers alike laughed as fourth-grade student teacher Sarah Gilbert volunteered to dress up in firefighter gear.

“I bet you’re sweating now!” one fourth grade student said. Another added, “I bet you don’t want to be a teacher anymore.”