Deputy Fire Marshal Jamal Mack participates in YMCA Hometown Heroes program

In promotion of literacy, Prisma Family Health YMCA hosts Simpsonville firefighter to read to campers

(Release: July 8, 2022)

Simpsonville, S.C. — Simpsonville Deputy Fire Marshal Jamal Mack read to campers at the Prisma Health Family YMCA in Simpsonville on Thursday to help promote literacy among children.

The YMCA invited Mack, who goes by "J. Mack," to read What Puppies Teach Us at the Adams Mill Road location as part of its Hometown Heroes program. Community members who help make a difference in the Simpsonville area and beyond stop by the Y on Thursdays after lunch to read to up to 20 campers at a time.

"Reading to the kids was very rewarding," J. Mack said. "The fire department does a lot of outreach with kids at different events, but sitting down with them on their turf, reading to them and answering their questions about fire safety was an experience that I'll always appreciate. Being a Simpsonville firefighter is about serving the public, and the Hometown Heroes program by the Y is a great way to do that."

By the end of J. Mack's visit, the campers had two homework assignments: ask their families about what the meeting place outside their homes is in case there is a fire and where the fire extinguisher in the home is located.

After J. Mack had read to two groups of campers, Lt. Robert Hurst and firefighter Darren Cline brought a Simpsonville firetruck to the Y campus. Lt. Hurst gave the kids a tour of the firetruck, and Hurst and Cline turned the sirens and lights on for the campers as they left to return to the fire station.

A Simpsonville police officer will read to the campers later in July. Mayor Paul Shewmaker and Community Relations Specialist Justin Campbell participated in the Hometown Heroes program in June.

Simpsonville Firefighter Darren Cline, Deputy Fire Marshal Jamal Mack and Lt. Robert Hurst showed off one of the Simpsonville Fire Department engines at the Prisma Family Health YMCA in Simpsonville. Mack participated in the Y's Hometown Heroes program by reading to campers | City of Simpsonville