Day 7 is Fire and Rescue Day at the Great New York State Fair, a chance to say 'thank you' to the brave men and women with fire and emergency services throughout New York State.

In today’s “Faces of the Fair" we introduce you to a retired fire lieutenant who has had a special role at the fair for close to four decades.

“We explain, what would happen if you had a fire, how to get out,” said Fire Prevention Education Center Instructor Fran Stepien.

You may have seen Fran volunteering in the Fire Prevention Education Center at the state fair. The retired Syracuse fire department lieutenant has spent years teaching people at the fair about fire precautions and how to handle emergency situations.

“This will be my thirty ninth year of being out here between the time I was working on the fire department and when I retired and I’m still here," Stepien said.

What you may not know about Fran is a special role at the fair. For close to four decades he has helped coordinate the fire safety puppet show. He’s also been participating in the show just as long.

“This is Firefighter Frank and this is what he sounds like because this is my voice,” he said.

Fran goes back stage four times each day where he puts in a DVD which plays a 15-minute safety show. The show includes Fran’s pre-recorded voice along with others. Then he gets down in a small hole and raises his puppet arm so that Firefighter Frank can highlight fire safety from a window to kids and their families.

“The puppet show, shows a lot, you can watch the kids in the audience, get very excited over certain things.  We have been able to bring them up on stage and do stop, drop, and roll, and that to me is great when you get to actually see the kids demonstrate what they just saw,” he said.

He said he has worked with hundreds of other people who have helped make the show a success at the fair. After this year, it’s time to slow down.

“It’s time to get some younger people involved. They’re out here, they’re very interested. So it is time to not be at the fair everyday,” he said.

While there may not be as many shows in Fran’s future one things for sure.  He’s helped teach thousands of children about fire safety. Fran retired from the Syracuse Fire Department as a lieutenant in 2010 after a 37-year career.

The Fire Prevention Education Center at the fair is run by three entities. The Syracuse City and Onondaga County Fire and the state office of Fire Prevention and Control operate the exhibit.