BROWNSDALE — At 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the fire alarms at Brownsdale Elementary went off for one of five planned fire drills conducted throughout the year.

But this time there was a degree of realism to the drill when two engines from the Brownsdale Fire Department pulled up outside the school with lights and sirens on.

It was an effort, during Fire Prevention Week, by firefighters and educators to give the students a close up example of what firefighters do to ensure the safety of others.

“This is just great,” principal Diana Orr said. “This fire department just does and awesome job. This is pretty impressive.”

Firefighters emerged in full turnout gear, lined out hose and even sent firefighters to the roof where they sprayed the roof as they might in a real fire.

“One year we’ll do this full demonstration, showing all the equipment and the guys up on the roof to show what we do and how we would get up on the roof if there was a fire,” Brownsdale Fire Chief Dave Pike said.

“Just kind of get kids familiar with the airpacks and turnout clothes we wear.”

It’s part of a continuing relationship between the fire department and the school. The department will also set up an obstacle course complete with doors and windows to show kids how to escape a fire.

But something like this also lends a familiarity with the firefighters themselves who often can look like something other than a man or woman underneath the heavy clothes and SCBA masks and tanks strapped to them.

It can be a frightening experience for a young child.

“That’s something they do train you on,” Pike said. “The airpacks, SCBA’s, basically they are a mask. They equate it to someone like Darth Vader. When a fireman is coming to help, it makes the job that much harder when the child is afraid of you and actually try to hide sometimes.”

After the drill, kids toured the trucks, talked to the firefighters and even helped clear the hoses by holding them up.

Experiences like this also helped the firefighters themselves.

“I think that adds an element of realism to it,” Pike said.

“Anytime you can train the way something will actually happen when the real event happens I think it’s just that much the better.”