The Elementary Winter Concert was held on last month and the ladders were given out to students through the efforts of Burl Swanson of the North Lake Fire Department and the collaboration of several other local fire agencies, including the Ashville Fire Department, Chautauqua Fire Department, and the Dewittville Women’s Auxiliary. The Chautauqua Lake Buildings and Grounds Team helped prepare the ladders for distribution.

A total of 260 First Alert ladders, valued at about $17,000 were distributed to Chautauqua Lake families in an effort to strengthen home fire safety across the community, and helping to ensure students have the critical tools needed to apply the fire safety skills they learn at the Chautauqua Safety Village in Ashville.

“Seeing every one of our students from Pre-K through fifth grade equipped with this critical tool is incredibly reassuring,” Elementary Principal Megan Lundgren said. “This generous gift takes the crucial fire safety lessons they learn at the Chautauqua Safety Village and truly brings them full circle, ensuring our families have the means to practice preparedness at home. We are so grateful to Mr. Swanson and our local fire departments for making this educational commitment a reality.”

Swanson, who has been involved with the district’s safety education efforts since their very beginning, emphasized that this moment is a full-circle and community effort.

Elementary Students at Chautauqua Lake recently were given their own Fire Escape Ladders at the Winter Concert to bring home.

“This year’s seniors were our very first pre-K group to attend Safety Village when we began our partnership with CLCS,” Swanson said. “Making sure every student now has a ladder at home means we’ve reached every grade since this program began. Shopping local also paid off; Stewart’s Hardware saved us over $4,000 on this project. This was truly a community effort.”

During the concert on Dec. 16, families collected their ladders with the help of volunteers from participating fire departments and a video demonstrating how to properly use the ladders was shown throughout the night, helping to reinforce the importance of fire safety and make sure families felt confident in how to use the equipment.

Chautauqua Lake Central School officials said the event highlights a deep, ongoing partnership between the school and its first responders who show up each year for multiple events such as homecoming parades, athletic send-offs, and the annual fire safety visits. Chautauqua Lake Superintendent, Josh Liddell, said the school district is very grateful for the dedication and partnership of first responders for this project and all other efforts.

“This remarkable gift reflects the very best of our local community,” Liddell said. “Thanks to the generosity and leadership of Burl Swanson and our local fire departments, our elementary students now have an essential tool that enhances safety for their families.This effort is the result of long-standing partnerships and a collective commitment to keeping our children safe, whether they’re here at school or at home. We are very grateful for the collaboration that made this possible and for our volunteer fire departments who continue to support our students in such meaningful ways.”

At the Chautauqua Lake Central School’s Elementary Winter Concert ladders were given out to students through the efforts of a number organizations including the North Lake Fire Department, the Ashville Fire Department, the Chautauqua Fire Department, and the Dewittville Women’s Auxiliary.

Burl Swanson of North Lake Fire Department spearheaded the Fire Escape Ladders giveaway.