There’s an old saying to fight fire with fire, but the Selma Fire Department is fighting fire with education.

One week in October is designated as fire safety week across the United States, but the Selma Fire Department dedicates the entire month to teaching students the ins and outs of protecting themselves from fire and preventing one from starting.

The department could just talk to the students and hand them a book with safety tips, but they take teaching the children to an entirely different level.

The department incorporates song, dance and of course Sparky the Fire Dog into their lessons.

We’re glad to see the fire department taking a proactive approach to teaching children about the dangers of fire. With young, wondering minds, it can be easy for the lessons to go in one ear and out the other, but the department does a good job of making sure students remember what they teach them when they make a stop at their school.

Capt. James Murphy, who spends much of his time educating students in Selma about fire, said he has seen the impact the lessons they teach have.

Murphy said multiple students have shared experiences they were taught their parents something they learned.

We salute the Selma Fire Department for their hard work and dedication to keeping the city of Selma safe.