OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY)- Here at KLFY, we are proud allies of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana.

Every year, the clubs take part in National Readiness Day; where students get to meet police officers, firefighters, and EMTs face-to-face in the hopes that if there ever is an accident, the kids will be prepared.

“It’s not just one or two things. It’s really an overall feeling of safety that we want to communicate with the kids,” said Jonathan Shirley with the Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana.
For some of the students it was first time meeting first responders, and seeing up close some the equipment they use everyday.

“We are giving kids an opportunity to see a fire truck in to get the chance to do a fire drill,” Shirley said. “To do that with firefighters here in the building it build that relationship so that if they see a fire truck later on, they’ve seen it and they’ve got to sit behind the wheel and push the horn. It’s all of those little things that make it feel like a community.”

In the case of an emergency, these students will now be more prepared and hopefully a little less afraid.

“The couple of tips and tricks that they learned about fire safety and the importance of a community they can take this back to their own homes,” Shirley said. “If anything were to ever happen it wouldn’t be the first time they would have to deal with it, they are ready.”