The Jaws of Life
All Decked Out!
5 New Tips For Fire Safety
- ย Never store items in an attic. ย Apparently, it is a HUGE fire safety hazard for the Fire Fighters, themselves and people needing to be rescued! ย We were told that by storing items in our attic, it could cause a fire to really catch ablaze. ย This in turn, would cause the roof to collapse onto the people trapped and possibly killing both the Fire Fighter and the person trapped inside. ย This was huge for us because we store a lot of items in our attic. ย We thought thatโs what the purpose of one, actually is! ย Looks like we have some rearranging to do!
- Baby Diapers can resist flames from a fire. ย This is actually an experiment we did for our Homeschool Science class. ย I was actually shocked that only the Lieutenant knew this fact, the rest, had no idea! ย We saw a documentary that showed a Fire Fighter discussing how he pulled out a Baby from a fire, which died instantly. ย He was shocked to discover that the diaper area was perfectly normal, while the rest of the Baby was burned to death. ย He then created the Fire blanket, which is sold everywhere, today. ย We are looking to have one on hand for the kids, as a protection method.
- Fire travels to the point of least resistance.ย Because heat rises, a fire will travel upstairs, in a two-story home, especially if someone trapped opens a window for help. ย We were told to close the door to the room where one is trapped, then place a barrier at the bottom of the door to prevent a suction from pulling the fire into the room.
- Always scream with a loud voice, for a Fire Fighter to hear you and find you. ย I had never really thought about this, but since a Fire Fighter has so much gear around his head, he is used to having to scream, himself, in order to hear his fellow Fire Fighters. ย We were told to scream with a loud voice, so that a Fire Fighter could hear you and stay low. ย Many times, people will be choking on the smoke and are unable to talk or scream loud, so staying low will prevent that from happening.
- Once you see a Fire Fighter coming, crawl to him as fast as you can. ย Movies often pre-condition us to seeing a Fire Fighter coming to the person and saying, โstay there, Iโm coming!โ ย We were told that time is precious, so as heat rises, stay low where the smoke is not as likely to be. ย Then, as soon as you see your Fire Fighter, crawl to him as fast as you can. ย Meet in the middle so that he/she can get you to safety.
We were also lucky to have a presentation of a Fire Fighter dressed in his full gear. ย It gave my kids a visual aid so they could see and learn all the layers of protection that they actually have to wear. ย We were told that when they go into a fire, the temperature can reach 600 degrees Fahrenheit or more! ย They noted that even in our hot desert heat, once they have rescued someone and come out of a burning building, the heat outside is nothing compared to what it may feel like inside. ย Truly remarkable and amazing. ย Fire Fighters place their lives on the line each day and we are so grateful for their service. ย Here is a look at that presentation.
Fire Fighter Gear
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When it comes to having the right tools, we all know it makes everyoneโs lives easier. ย The Fire Fighters were also willing to show some of the great tools they use to help out during a rescue.
Group Pic!
Random Facts We Learned
- We learned that a Fire Truck has to have 500 gallons of water in it, daily. ย It must be ready for an emergency.
- Every fire hose has a weight of 8 pounds per foot and their fire hose is 100 feet long. ย So just imagine how heavy a fully active fire hose can be! ย No wonder they work out for that upper body strength!
- Finding out that a fire can be 600 degrees Fahrenheit was so scary! ย It just puts things into perspective for us.
- Wind is a Fire Fighters worst enemy, for obvious reasons.
- There is a black Fire truck that is for fallen Fire Fighters. ย It is given as an option, instead of a hearse, for the funeral procession.
We had an awesome time, thank you to all the Fire Fighters and the Lieutenant that helped make learning so fun!