Cary Fire Department Open House

This past week October 5^th through the 11^th is National Fire Prevention Week. Joining in on the event was the Cary Fire Department. On Tuesday, October 14^th from 6:30-8:30 pm they held an open house inviting the public to the station to learn all about fire safety. My dad, Bill Hauck, is a Cary Fire trustee so he has had this particular event in red on the calendar for weeks, if not months. I thought what a great opportunity to bring my 3-year-old son, Georgie, to the fire station to meet the firemen and hopefully learn some great safety tips. So my husband, our son, and I met my parents at the fire station to check it out.

My son wore his fire hat all the way to the station and all throughout the night so we called him "Fireman Georgie." His eyes lit up as we arrived and walked up to the fire trucks parked outside all sparkling clean and ready to go. He was very excited to be so close that he could finally touch one. It was like a child's dream come true! To his surprise there was even more to see inside. There was an ambulance that the children could walk through and inside it there was a friendly paramedic answering the children's many questions.

They could also view the truck used to carry all of the under water diving equipment. Georgie, along with so many other kids, excitedly walked through each with the biggest smiles on their faces. There was a jeep hauling the boat used for water rescues, which was a big hit with the kids who pretended they were boating. Of course what open house would be complete without games and treats too!

Included in the event were also several demonstrations to teach the importance of fire safety without being scary for the kids. One in particular that I thought was great was a fireman who put on all of his gear, his coat, hat, mask, everything and crawled up to the children in the circle to show them what a fireman would really look like. He made a point to tell the children and their parents that often times a child will be scared when they see a fireman in full uniform and they run and hide, which is extremely dangerous. It opened up the dialogue to teach your child not to be afraid of a fireman; they're there to help.

A favorite demonstration among the children was one in which they were able to hold a fire hose with a fireman and spray a tree with water together. There was also a real life controlled fire that showed everyone how they would put out a fire.

One of the best parts of the night was when the Flight For Life helicopter landed on the property. It was like a scene from a movie, being so close that you could feel the wind on your face and could see the leaves flying all around as the helicopter landed. After the helicopter was turned off they allowed everyone to go see the inside.

What a great time had by all and it was such neat experiences to be in the presence of so many that make a living helping people. So many families were able to make memories that night and teach valuable life saving lessons at the same time. Shortly after we discussed fire safety with our son and developed a plan at home and Fireman Georgie knows just what to do if there is ever a fire in our home. This time next year we will be back at the fire station for another great family event! Mark your calendars and check it out next year if you missed it this time!