On Tuesday, October 8, Cornwall Elementary School hosted its third annual First Responders Day. A variety of agencies from Cornwall, Cornwall-on-Hudson, Woodbury, Monroe, Washingtonville, Orange County, and New York State were on hand to demonstrate the services they provide.

Each of the five grade levels had 50 minutes to spend visiting the various stations set up in front of the school. Students were first asked to gather on the lawn for a K9 demonstration where they learned how the dogs are trained in obedience, to search for explosives, find lost articles, and even apprehension. From there, the classes were split so students could visit the many stations.

The American Red Cross taught the kids how to perform CPR while nurses from New York Presbyterian gave basic medical information. Local and state police agencies had a variety of vehicles for the students to “touch” including a jeep, ATV, and motorcycle. They also learned how officers use surveillance equipment before entering a building. A member of the Orange County Special Operations was also on hand to demonstrate equipment used by the S.W.A.T. team.

A member of the Orange County Hazmat team taught students how they handle hazardous situations that do not entail fire. Meanwhile, the kids had the opportunity to crawl through a safety house, learning how to stay low when a room or house is on fire.