‘Fireman’ Fred encourages tomorrow’s heroes at Presque Isle Middle School

16 years ago
    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Rachel Scott, a sixth-grader at Presque Isle Middle School, was only three years old when the terrorist attacks on the United States occurred on 9/11.
Though she’s since learned about what happened at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon building, a special school visitor last Thursday helped drive the message home that America – through the perseverance of its true heroes – has bounced back.
In observation of the seventh anniversary of 9/11, “Fireman” Fred Parsons spoke to sixth-graders during Heroes Week, a statewide initiative to recognize the heroic Mainers who live and work in our communities and abroad.
“I was honored and humbled that they asked me to be there,” said Parsons, “and talk about how we in the fire service were affected by what happened seven years ago. I told them that heroes can be anybody … it could be them, doctors, nurses or teachers. To me, a hero is someone who goes above and beyond. It doesn’t have to be a big thing … it could be something like visiting the older folks at a nursing home.
“I encouraged them to try to do a random act of kindness every day,” he said. “They are the leaders of tomorrow, and we’ll count on them. Hopefully I inspired them in some way.”
A native of Mars Hill, Parsons is a 22-year professional firefighter for the Presque Isle Fire Department and is also a full-time critical care transport paramedic for Crown Ambulance.
Scott said she enjoyed Parsons’ presentation.
“It was really, really cool to learn more about 9/11 from Fireman Fred. He talked about why the terrorists attacked … because they’re just really bad people, and about heroes and that we are the future heroes,” she said.
A number of other activities were held during Heroes Week including an origami unit.
“Mrs. [Peggy] Kelly read us a story about a girl, Sadako Sasaki, who died of leukemia. She was trying to make 1,000 paper cranes, but she didn’t get that far,” said Scott, “so we made paper cranes and they’re going to be hung from the ceiling for display.”
Scott said heroes have a number of worthy characteristics including “love, compassionate, helpful and thoughtfulness.”
“Heroes also show good sportsmanship,” she said. “It’s kind of a neat idea to think that I could be somebody’s hero. It’s also kind of shocking because I won’t know who that little person is. But it feels really cool, too.”
Sixth-grader Isaac Michaud got a lot from Parsons’ visit, too.
“He talked to us about 9/11,” he said, “but since he’s a fireman, he gave us a different perspective since so many firemen were killed in the attacks.
“I also didn’t know about the New York City Fire Museum, but he’s been there, so that was interesting,” said Michaud.
Michaud said some of the important characteristics of a hero include determination, courage, bravery, and helpfulness.
“During one of our activities, we talked about a cartoonist who kept being rejected,” said Michaud, “come to find out that it was Walt Disney. So even if someone views you as a failure, you can be very successful.
“I really enjoyed Heroes Week,” he said. “This will be a sixth-grade memory I’ll carry with me for years to come.”
In addition to information and songs, Parsons shared photographs he took during his 2007 visit to the NYC Fire Museum.
“There’s a marble plaque with the names of all 343 firefighters who were killed on 9/11,” said Parsons. “There’s all kinds of artifacts at the museum, as well, including an old helmet that was beat up, a radio, an axe … even pieces of metal off one of the fire trucks.
“We talked about what Ground Zero looks like today, St. John’s Chapel, and did a question and answer period,” he said. “I shared with them various statistics … they were a very good group. I was impressed.”
Social studies/English teacher Peggy Kelley said her fellow sixth-grade teachers “jumped on board” with National Heroes Week and planned “a variety of activities.”
“The students filled out a questionnaire as to ‘What Makes a Hero?’ The students watched a slide show prepared by math/English teacher Kevin Mallenfant, which looked at character traits of a hero,” said Kelley. “I read the story, ‘The Flight of Cranes’ and the students made origami cranes. Tim McCue and Fireman Fred both did presentations, and the finale came Friday when the students created either a hero cinquain, a picture paragraph about heroism, or a trifold or pop-up book on a characteristic of a hero. All the student work will be displayed in the hall.”
Kelley said it meant a lot to the students to learn about 9/11 from Parsons.
“He tied his presentation to heroes,” she said, “by explaining how heroes went in and tried to save people … some sacrificed their own lives trying to save others. Some made it, some didn’t. Fred would incorporate music into his presentation by singing some patriotic songs, which the kids absolutely loved. They were clapping, standing, cheering and waving their hands … he was very well received by the students. It meant something to them, and they left with a message.
“I hope the kids realize that we – as teachers – if they need us for any reason, they can come to us and we will be there to help them,” said Kelley. “Seeing and hearing that children can also be heroes is important. They, too, can be heroes and help their classmates in time of need or crisis. I think they learned that they not only can be heroes in the future, but even now.”
In a letter from Education Commissioner Susan Gendron, schools were encouraged to “recognize the heroic Mainers that live and work in our communities and abroad.”
“Recognition of heroism, and especially a recognition of the heroic acts of Mainers, is a wonderful way for students to begin the school year,” said Gendron. “It emphasizes the importance of active citizenship and lets us think of how we as individuals may contribute even in small ways to our fellow citizens, our communities, our state and our nation.”