Fire Station Visit

 Last week, in honor of National Fire Prevention Week, each of our local fire stations chose a day to have a community open house. We knew that visiting a fire station would be something our boys would absolutely LOVE! It was perfect that our neighborhood station had their open house on Friday-- Daddy's day off.

When we arrived, a few daycare/preschool groups were just getting started with a short video. It was an animated clip talking primarily about smoke alarms and when to call 911. The video was brief enough that it held the boys' attention just fine. 

When the video was done, we got to meet a special guest of the station, Sparky the Fire House Dog. Cody was a bit frightened by this giant canine, but Jaden seemed fairly excited.

After seeing a few other kids give Sparky a hug, Jaden followed suit without hesitation.

Cody, on the other hand, wanted to stay safely in Daddy's arms.

Then, we got an up-close view of a real fire engine! One kind firefighter helped Cody and Jaden climb right up inside the vehicle.

Jaden, Cody, and Daddy all practiced sitting in the seats.

It was really interesting seeing all the equipment the firefighters keep inside their truck. Jaden and Cody especially liked the rolled-up hose.

That is one big truck!

The second fire truck we got to view seemed to have all kinds of special compartments and knobs.

Our climbing boys loved it! Unfortunately, they didn't come out unscathed... Mommy's still trying to get the black grease marks out of their jackets!

This time, the firefighter let the boys climb right up into the driver's seat!

It was REALLY exciting watching the firefighter extend the ladder, move it around, and even climb  up to the top!

At the end of the visit, we got to try out a real fire hose in an attempt to put out a not-so-real fire.

The fireman showed Jaden which lever to pull to make the hose spray.

Cody particularly liked spraying the hose back and forth. The water stream was sure powerful!

Back at home, we opened the gift bags that we received from the station. Jaden and Cody happily stuck their fire fighter badge-stickers to their shirts, and Jaden, at least, proudly wore his "Check Your Smoke Alarm" wristband. We also got pencils, erasers, and coloring sheets.

This picture shows a bit more clearly what the boys are holding-- fire fighter hats! We actually made these earlier in the week at library story & craft time. After the visit to the fire station, though, the boys had a renewed interest in their hats. :)

We're thankful for all the hard work that our local fire department does. It was such a treat to visit the station. Who knows? We may have little fire-fighters in the making... :)