A plastic-wrapped magnet at the bottom of a beaker stirred lemon juice as another magnet underneath the beaker rotated in a circle. A dark-blue dye was injected into the liquid and turned a shade of yellow, which, according to a color chart, indicates a pH level of 2 or 3. The same was true for a soft drink, but milk registered as 7. A trailer containing a miniature kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and living room was equipped with potential fire hazards that children were asked to identify. A non-toxic theater smoke, which is used to train firefighters, filled the small compartment and billowed out the windows as Jerry Simkonis and company, part of FETC's Emergency Response Organization, instructed children to drop to the floor where the air is safer to breathe.
Smoke rises and can be dangerous if too much is inhaled.
They were then told to crawl to the door and escape via a ladder, similar to a fire escape in an apartment building. After spotting fire hazards in every room, learning how to react, and successfully escaping a fire, the children received a certificate indicating they are Junior Fire Inspectors, trained at the Aluminum Cans for Burned Children Fire Safety House. The Fire Safety House was purchased from the proceeds of fund raisers, the most prominent being collected aluminum cans. The Safety House, used to promote fire prevention and fire safety education, is provided at no cost to non-profit agencies through the Allegheny County Fire Academy and the Allegheny County Fire Chiefs and Volunteer Fire Fighters Association. Children were also instructed on how to survive in a burning building until help arrives, and what that help will sound like in a dark environment like a smoke-filled room.