We were so blessed to meet Fire Fighters from our local Fire Department this week!  As part of our Homeschooling experience, I wanted my kids to learn about fire safety and exactly what being a Fire Fighter entails.  We were given a tour around the entire premises and they guys were really great with us!  Here are some of the moments we shared.

The Jaws of Life

All Decked Out!

5 New Tips For Fire Safety

1.  Never store items in an attic.  Apparently, it is a HUGE fire safety hazard for the Fire Fighters, themselves and people needing to be rescued!  We were told that by storing items in our attic, it could cause a fire to really catch ablaze.  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.  This was huge for us because we store a lot of items in our attic.  We thought that’s what the purpose of one, actually is!  Looks like we have some rearranging to do!
2. Baby Diapers can resist flames from a fire.  This is actually an experiment we did for our Homeschool Science class.  I was actually shocked that only the Lieutenant knew this fact, the rest, had no idea!  We saw a documentary that showed a Fire Fighter discussing how he pulled out a Baby from a fire, which died instantly.  He was shocked to discover that the diaper area was perfectly normal, while the rest of the Baby was burned to death.  He then created the Fire blanket, which is sold everywhere, today.  We are looking to have one on hand for the kids, as a protection method.
3. Fire travels to the point of least resistance.  Because heat rises, a fire will travel upstairs, in a two-story home, especially if someone trapped opens a window for help.  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.
4. Always scream with a loud voice, for a Fire Fighter to hear you and find you.  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.  We were told to scream with a loud voice, so that a Fire Fighter could hear you and stay low.  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.
5. Once you see a Fire Fighter coming, crawl to him as fast as you can.  Movies often pre-condition us to seeing a Fire Fighter coming to the person and saying, “stay there, I’m coming!”  We were told that time is precious, so as heat rises, stay low where the smoke is not as likely to be.  Then, as soon as you see your Fire Fighter, crawl to him as fast as you can.  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.  It gave my kids a visual aid so they could see and learn all the layers of protection that they actually have to wear.  We were told that when they go into a fire, the temperature can reach 600 degrees Fahrenheit or more!  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.  Truly remarkable and amazing.  Fire Fighters place their lives on the line each day and we are so grateful for their service.  Here is a look at that presentation.

Fire Fighter Gear

When it comes to having the right tools, we all know it makes everyone’s lives easier.  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.  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.  So just imagine how heavy a fully active fire hose can be!  No wonder they work out for that upper body strength!
• Finding out that a fire can be 600 degrees Fahrenheit was so scary!  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.  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!