Firefighters on Friday made a visit to Thornton Melon grade school to teach fire safety to 3rd graders. But when they showed some of their gear to the kids school officials quickly stopped the presentation and kicked the fire crew of school property.
Captain Derek Lutz says his crew was dumbfounded by the fear. “The teach got all upset saying guns are not allowed in school. We said we don’t have guns, you know we are not cops. But the teacher said it [the fire nozzle] looks like a gun.”
Principle Phillip Barbay says the school have a zero tolerance policy for guns. “No guns. Not squirt guns, not nerf guns, heck we will put kids in detention for making finger guns. So what example would we set for allowing that gun shaped object in our school.”
According to a police report the firefighter initially refused to leave saying they have an obligation to do fire awareness education for school kids. Eventually the principle called 911 and requested police come escort the firefighters away or arrest them if needed.
Upon the initial responding officers arrival he found the firefighters already loading up into their fire engine preparing to leave. Seeing how the fire crew was leaving on their own the officer never bothered to get out of his squad car.
Parents reactions seemed mixed. Many agree that the zero tolerance policy means no exceptions. Other said that school officials seem to have lost their minds as to what a gun is and is not.