One of the first lessons high school career and technical students learn is how to keep themselves and others safe.

A week’s worth of lessons culminated in Safety Day Friday on the campus of Hinds Community College.

“We have to teach safety this first week. We have to give them a test on it so they’ll know what the safety rules are before they go to work in the classrooms,” health sciences instructor Eloise Ford said. “Everybody has to have fire safety and first aid.”

She said learning safety first helps the students in class throughout the year. Eventually students will visit nursing homes and the hospital, and she said it is good for the students to have background knowledge of what to do in an emergency.

“It is important for them to learn safety so they can help themselves, others,” Ford said.

Safety won’t only be helpful to students in class or career but can also be used at home to help their family.

“Fire safety really is important for everybody because a fire can happen anywhere,” health sciences instructor Vera Igbikwe said. “It’s just always good to be prepared and know what to do because you could be saving yourself and someone else.”

Four firefighters from the Vicksburg Fire Department spoke to students about carbon monoxide detection, cooking being a top cause for house fires, creating an escape plan for a building on fire, the danger of smoke inhalation and how people should never enter a burning building — among other words of advice about fire extinguisher and smoke detector upkeep.

“We’re here today about fire safety — teaching them about fire alarms and showing them the fire truck,” fire investigator Nathaniel Williams said.

After the firefighters spoke, the students went outside to look at a fire truck. Some asked questions while others jumped inside to get a closer look.

“That fire truck is there so that they’ll understand what’s going on. They even show them the gear, how they are protected and how they protect them,” Ford said.

The firefighters also encouraged students to considered joining the force, especially now that the minimum age requirement is 18.

“If any of them may have thought of becoming a firefighter, that was an opportunity to get a little background about what they do,” Ibikwe said.