From learning when to change batteries in smoke detectors to applying how to properly use a fire extinguisher, detained youths at the Forrest County Juvenile Detention Center were educated by members of the Hattiesburg Fire Department as part of National Fire Safety Month.

“This was my first time ever using a fire extinguisher and it’s not as heavy as I thought,” said one youth. “Though we’re locked up, I’m glad they came here to teach us because there was a lot that we didn’t know about what to do if we ever saw a fire.”

The youth, along with detention center staff, enjoyed the training and are thankful for the fire department’s time spent in educating them.