Clown Terror Won`t Stop Fire Safety Educators

Oct. 13--WEST POINT -- The clowns of North Davis Fire District plan to continue teaching fire and public safety to elementary students in their district, the chief said.

"Smokestack," aka North Davis Fire District Capt. Chris Tremea, and "ResQ," aka firefighter and paramedic Sarah Smith said they're going to keep painting their faces and wearing silly clothes to help kids learn fire safety.

Chief Mark Becraft said despite "unfortunate circumstances across the country," he's not going to bench his clowns.

Becraft was referring to threats made to schools and people across the country, including in Utah, by people posing as clowns. So far, most of those threats have been hoaxes, but police have arrested and charged those responsible for making threats.

Becraft's two clowns teach kids the basic fire safety rules, which can't be measured, Becraft said.

West Point City Councilman Gary Petersen serves as the vice-chairman on the North Davis Fire District Board. He, along with his family, attended North Davis Fire District Prevention Night on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the West Point fire station, located at 381 N. 3150 West.

"The education these clowns do is huge," Petersen said. "But with public safety you never know if what is taught is working because you can't record how many times a child remembers not to play with matches because of the clown's message."

The basics the clowns teach, Becraft said, include reminders like "stop, drop and roll," if a person catches on fire, or check a door before opening it to see if it is hot and not to play with matches and lighters, Becraft said.

Becraft pointed out that without that education, Rick and Heather Porter's family could have experienced a severe tragedy if their 11-year-old son did not remember what the clowns had taught him during a school assembly.

The 11-year-old had smelled smoke in his house and followed it to the garage door that opens into the kitchen. Instead of opening it, the 11-year-old said he felt the door like the clowns taught him, and it was hot. That is when he got his brothers and sisters out the home that was destroyed by a fire on Aug. 3.

Smith made her first appearance as "ResQ," the clown, complete with a red braids she made out of yarn at the North Davis Fire District Fire Prevention Night on Tuesday.

It's Tremea's ninth year as "Smokestack," dressed in a neon blue wig and over-sized white shoes. Most of the kids and parents recognized him immediately, yelling "Hi, Smokestack," and asking for high fives or "knuckles."

As the pair walked around the West Point fire station, some kids also shouted out to Tremea, "Where's Gusgus?"

Tremea had to tell the children Gusgus, his former partner, aka firefighter Shane Dunstan, moved to Texas.

Sariah Richins, 9, wanted to have her photo taken with Tremea and Smith.

"I like them because they're funny," Sariah said.

Her mother, Laura Richins, says she tries to arrange her schedule every year so she can attend the fire safety assembly at her daughter's school.

"I love to watch them," Richins said. "We love the clowns no matter what."

Kaysha Herfel, 14, of Syracuse said when she first saw the clowns at the fire station she was "nervous because of all the social media stuff lately about clowns."

But then she and her sister, Jaylynne Herfel, 12, both realized "these clowns aren't scary. They're in a fire station, not out wandering the street."

So the two got their photo taken with Tremea and Smith.

Tremea said he has gone to the "Characterization Camp" in Bullhead, Arizona, three times in the past nine years to learn how to interact with children and also to get new ideas on how to teach fire safety.

Tremea said the fire district goes to 13 schools in Clearfield, West Point and Clinton, presenting their fire safety message. They are teamed up with firefighters from North Davis Fire District and Clinton Fire Department.

Tremea said the clowns do not arrive at the schools in clown gear, but in their firefighter uniforms. They get dressed in their clown costumes and paint their faces at the schools. Before leaving the school, they get back into their firefighter uniforms and remove the makeup.

Roy Fire Chief Jason Poulsen, Ogden Deputy Fire Chief Eric Bauman and Weber Fire District Chief Deputy Paul Sullivan all said they do not plan to discontinue using their clowns in their public safety messages they take to elementary schools.

"Our kids know our clowns, and they have had a huge impact on the community," Poulsen said.

Sullivan said when his department added clowns to the public safety assemblies for grades kindergarten to third grade, kids related to it better.

At this time there is no thought of dropping the clowns from the program, he said.

You can reach reporter Loretta Park at lpark@standard.net or at 801-625-4252. Follow her on Twitter@LorettaPark SE or like her on Facebook.

Copyright 2016 - Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah