ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Some 4th graders in Allentown got a surprise Tuesday when a city firefighter visited their classroom.
The visit kicked off a new hands-on Career Day.
The students looked on intensely, sitting at their desks and crowding the classroom floor, locked in on their guests.
4th grade focus, because a real-life firefighter was in their classroom.
10-year-old Charlotte was among the curious faces.
‘He made me feel like I want to actually be a firefighter, and that it’s actually really interesting,” said Charlotte.
Captain Jonathan Hammel told captivating stories of crawling through fire and rescuing crash victims.
He’s one of the first speakers in the new “Tools of the Trade” Speaker Series, exposing students kids to a wide range of careers.
One of their favorite stories? The time Captain Hammel delivered a baby.
“We got called at 4 o’clock in the morning for a woman who was in active labor. Me and my engine crew responded. We acted, we assisted her with the delivery,” said Captain Hammel.
During the Q&A, the hands went up, making their teacher, Stephanie Marks, so proud.
“This is a great class. They are super eager to learn. They want to know more. They want to know beyond just the textbooks that they’re reading. Bringing careers to them is exactly what this class is eager for,” Marks said.
The kids learned that right now, There are no female firefighters in the Allentown Fire Department.
Charlotte wasn’t happy too about that.
“I want more girls to be on the fire department, so I was really happy when all my classmates, almost every single girl in my class, raised their hand to be a firefighter,” Charlotte said.
The Speaker Series aims to expose students to dream about the future long before they reach high school.
The speaker series will continue through mid-January.