Firefighters 'Fired Up' at Alpharetta Elementary School

The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety’s firefighters have been fired up about reading at Alpharetta Elementary School. Firefighters from Alpharetta’s Station No. 5 participated in a program to promote reading by visiting the school and conducting reading sessions with students in the classroom.

Firefighters Inspiring Reading Every Day is a collaborative effort between Alpharetta’s finest and the Alpharetta Elementary School, according to a news release from the department's spokesman, George Gordon. Students improve their reading comprehension skills, sight words and phonics by participating in classroom exercises and by online programs. They use songs, games, books and a rewards program to enhance their skills.

The Alpharetta firefighters visit the school monthly to read to the students. Different classes compete for monthly incentives such as lunch or recess with the firefighters. The top student that completes all 121 reading lessons and earns “500 golden eggs” in the Reading Eggspess program will win the honor of being taken to school in an Alpharetta fire truck! If more than one student qualifies as top student, a drawing will be held to pick a winner. All students who complete 100 lessons will receive a certificate.

Because of the success of the reading program, Alpharetta Elementary had a record 97 percent reading program participation last year by the students.