Fire Safety Month: A Homeschool Field Trip to Our Local Fire Station

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Did you know that October is Fire Safety Month?

Home Depot has partnered with local bloggers to help get the word out about fire safety.

Home Depot arranged for my kids to take a tour of one of the local fire stations here in Hurst.

Homeschool field trip here we come.

The fire fighters were kind enough to show us around their living area as well. At this station they are on 24 hours and off 24 hours.

Here is the kitchen where all of their meals are cooked.

The fire fighters reminded us Watch What You Heat– fire happens in the kitchen too.

Next we were off to get a close up look at the fire engines.

I did not realize how many compartments for storage are on the outside of the engine until the fire fighter began to show us.

Everything is very organized.

Until this tour, I also did not realize all of the vast power tools and equipment they carry. There is also a generator on the truck.

Every Saturday all of the equipment and items on the truck come off and a thorough inventory is done.

They ensure all equipment is working. They never want to arrive somewhere without their tools or with broken tools.

Every second counts when you’re fighting a fire.

Next we got a close up look at the masks the fire fighters wear.

There is over 70 pounds of equipment these service men wear each time they go out on a call.

That weighs more than most children.

Nicky tried to lift the oxygen tank the fire fighters wear…   it was so heavy!

Here is the driver’s gear. He keeps it in the truck just like this and he gets dressed at the fire scene.

The driver stays with the truck and runs all operations from the engine ensuring things are running properly for the other fire fighters.

The engine itself holds about 5 minutes worth of water.

The fire fighters begin using that water while the driver gets the other hoses hooked up to the fire hydrant.

Everyone is busy.

Matthew wanted to try out the hose.

The fire fighters reminded us to Get Low and Go when leaving the smoke filled house.

That blue lever on the hose adjusts the water flow from a wide fanning spray to a straight stream, much like the attachments you can put on the end of your water hose at home.

It is important to remind our kids to Get Out and Stay Out when evacuating the home during a fire.   Never ever go back into the burning house for anything- not a toy, not an animal, nothing.

One of the fire fighters asked, what do you think your parents would say is the most important thing in your house? It is you (the child)!

Remind your children where the family meeting place is outside of the home. Tell them this is where you will meet them.

For any reason should a child’s clothes catch on fire while escaping a burning home, remind them of the same saying we learned in school Stop Drop and Roll.

We were able to see inside the ambulance while we were at the fire station. They are equipped to help anyone in need as they quickly work to get them to the hospital.

These fire fighters are trained on the EMT side as well- they alternate engine duties and ambulance duties.

Before each shift each fire fighter does 5 repetitions of breathing recovery on the pretend person. They want to be prepared and ready to help when the first call comes in.

A fire fighters job is hard and important.

6 Fire Safety Tips:

1. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm on each level of your home and in each bedroom.
2. Install carbon monoxide testers on each level of the home as well. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer and we must be proactive and take it serious.
3. Keep a fire extinguisher handy near the kitchen.
4. Never leave a cooking stove unattended.
5. Have your chimney cleaned at least once a year.
6. Make an evacuation plan together, go over it, practice it and revisit it often.

Here is a great flier you can print out. Just click on the image below and it will take you to the pdf to print for your home.

Visit your local Home Depot to see some of the helpful Kidde smoke detectors and carbon monoxide testers. They also carry evacuation ladders for two story homes and other affordable resources as you implement fire safety plans for your family.

• Fire Safety Info from The Home Depot
• Home Depot on Facebook
• The Home Depot on Twitter

 

The Home Depot partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote Fire Safety Awareness Month. As part of this promotion, I received a gift card for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used. The Home Depot believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. You can read my full disclosure here.