The Rockingham Fire Department, as well as a local storyteller, came to the rescue in a different way Tuesday as part of the Richmond County Library summer program finale.

Instead of letting the summer education series end prematurely due to a scheduling conflict preventing the North Carolina Symphony from attending Saturday’s event, local storyteller Scarlet Gibbs and Rockingham firefighters swooped in for the save by providing timely and localized lessons on wildlife and fire safety.

“We were definitely worried. It really warmed my heart that there were people like the fire department and Mrs. Gibbs, and really make something special for our community on such short notice. I really don’t have words for it. It’s so amazing,” Rockingham Library Children’s Program Director Sydney King said.

With summer coming to an end, and the colder months creeping up, Rockingham firefighters taught lessons on fire safety, including what to do in the event of a fire and brought along mascot Sparky to provide demonstrations. With some residents becoming reliant on potentially dangerous space heaters, RFD Engineer Kimberly Morton believes the lessons taught Tuesday may save lives.

“Winter time is our busiest season. We not only have heat and air, but gas heat and air. What we try to do is just touch base on don’t touch a hot stove or a hot heater. Do not overload a strip or plug-ins. They burn out really fast and really quick. Don’t leave anything crowded on outlets or your extension cords, and use the proper extension cord,” Morton said.

As for Scarlett Gibbs, she shared a pair of stories “The Kneecap Kids” and “Razz-Ma-Tazz!” which both feature illustrations from her daughter Holly Hewitt. While “Razz-Ma-Tazz!” was purely for entertainment, “The Kneecap Kids” provided lessons through narrative regarding the flora and fauna of coastal North Carolina.

“I enjoyed it. I have not had the opportunity to read to children in a long time. Generally, I deal with adults. I enjoyed it. This was the first time in a long time, and I got the pleasure of reading my daughter’s books that she actually illustrated. Her friend wrote the stories, and one of the books is actually based on the North Carolina outer banks,” Gibbs said.

As for the library, King said wrapping up the summer library education series felt bittersweet. Her focus is now planning for fall and winter events, as well as putting together next year’s summer education series.

“For this being my first real summer reading as the children’s director has been amazing. I’m really excited for what’s to come. We always have some stuff around the holidays. We have Santa coming to the library and things like that. I’m looking forward to it, and planning for next summer,” King said.