Behind the Badge
“Alright, is everybody ready for a nice story?” Anaheim Fire & Rescue Marshal Allen Hogue asked a group of kids at the Haskett Public Library in Anaheim.
The group of children shyly mumbled back in response.
“That didn’t sound very enthusiastic, so is everybody ready for a nice story?” Hogue excitedly shouted.
Kids and their parents sit on the reading steps at Haskett Library as Anaheim’s Fire Marshall Allen Hogue reads from the book, Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim – A Child’s Guide to Water Safety, as AF&R gets ready to kick off their water safety campaign for the upcoming summer.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
This time, a roar of “yes” echoed though the library room.
As the weather begins to warm up, educating parents and their children about water safety becomes a top priority for the fire department.
“What we want to do here in Anaheim and throughout the county is reduce childhood drownings,” Hogue said. “Last year we had eight children who drowned and that could be prevented so our goal is to get that number down to zero.”
Parents sit with their kids at Haskett Library as Anaheim’s Fire Marshall Allen Hogue reads a book on water safety.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Hogue, accompanied by Anaheim Fire & Rescue’s Dalmatian mascot Capt. D. Tector, began to read “Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim” to the group of children.
“You’ll be safe if you learn these rules: don’t jump in until you learn how to swim because Stewie the duck wants you to be safe like him,” Hogue read.
In the book, a duck named Stewie didn’t know how to swim. Before he was allowed to join his friends in the water, Stewie had to take proper steps to ensure he would be OK swimming.
Hogue finished the story by singing the water safety song at the end of the book. Which included all the water safety rules and had the kids sing along.
Hogue then shiftedhis focus to the children’s parents.
Hogue first demonstrated how to properly secure a type two flotation device (which is a Coast Guard approved life jacket for children weighing up to 50 pounds) on a child volunteer.
Kids and their parents listen to a book on water safety during a book reading at Haskett Library in Anaheim.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
He then passed out water watcher kitswhich included sunglasses, a water watcher lanyard, a step-by-step CPR guide, and a whistle.
Before the event ended, the children got to color and take pictures with Capt. D. Tector.
“Remember what Stewie did, he said never swim alone so always have an adult watching you,” Hogue told the children.
Anaheim’s Fire Marshall Allen Hogue describes the items in a water safety kid being handed out by Anaheim Fire, that includes a pool monitor badge and a safety whistle, as kids gather at Haskett Library to learn about water safety.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Anaheim’s Fire Marshall Allen Hogue reads a book called Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim – A Child’s Guide to Water Safety, to kids gathered at Haskett Library as AF&R gets ready to kick off their water safety campaign for the upcoming summer.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Kids and their parents gather with Anaheim’s Fire Marshall Allen Hogue and AF&R’s mascot Capt. D. Tector for a group photo at at Haskett Library as the kids learn about water safety.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
