South Sumter Middle School Students Partner with Sumter County Fire & EMS

Sumter County Fire & EMS recently partnered with students at South Sumter Middle School on a unique hands-on project that combined skilled construction, fire safety education, and firefighter training.

In early March, Sumter County Fire & EMS staff met with students in the school’s construction program, led by construction teacher Eric Studebaker, to introduce a special project designed to support firefighter training. During the initial meeting, Fire & EMS staff explained the importance of the project, how the fire training dollhouses would be used in training, and provided guidance on how the students would construct the build.

Using skills learned in the classroom, students hand-constructed fire training dollhouses designed to help firefighters simulate and better understand fire behavior in a controlled environment. Throughout the project, students utilized tools including jigsaws, miter saws, circular saws, air guns, and various hand tools to complete the build entirely by hand.

On Monday, all five construction classes gathered at the end of the school day to watch Sumter County Fire & EMS conduct a live demonstration using one of the student-built dollhouses. During the simulation, John Davis, Division Chief, walked students through the stages of fire behavior while emphasizing the importance of home fire safety and prevention.

As the demonstration unfolded, Davis explained how quickly fire can spread throughout a structure and highlighted the critical importance of keeping bedroom doors closed at night to help slow fire progression and improve survivability during a house fire.

To further engage students in the learning experience, Davis also brought several thermal imaging cameras, allowing students to observe and survey temperature changes throughout the demonstration. Students had the opportunity to see firsthand how heat moves through a structure and how firefighters use thermal imaging technology during emergency incidents.

“Training is one of the most important things we do in the fire service,” said Division Chief John Davis with Sumter County Fire & EMS. “These dollhouses give our new firefighters an opportunity to learn and interact with fire behavior in a safe and controlled environment before entering a live burn structure for training. At the same time, this partnership allowed students to see how quickly fire conditions can change, understand the importance of fire safety, and experience some of the tools firefighters use in the field. Education like this can have a lasting impact.”

Students watched in amazement as one of their construction projects burned through the various stages of fire, transforming months of hard work into a real-world learning experience. The demonstration not only showcased the importance of firefighter training but also provided

students with valuable lessons about fire prevention, safety, and the science behind fire behavior.

According to Studebaker, the partnership has been a rewarding experience for students, and South Sumter Middle School looks forward to continuing the collaboration with Sumter County Fire & EMS in the future.

“We are excited to continue this partnership and look forward to building these training dollhouses for Sumter County Fire & EMS each year,” said Eric Studebaker, construction teacher at South Sumter Middle School.

The partnership highlights the value of collaboration between local schools and public safety agencies, providing students with meaningful hands-on learning opportunities while supporting the training needs of the firefighters who protect the community.