In extinguishing a blaze recently, the Franklin Park Department took the opportunity to also do a bit of community outreach to a few neighborhood kids.
On March 7, firefighters responded at around 5:30 p.m to a vehicle fire on Gustav Street. Battalion Chief Nick Steker said the owner had parked the vehicle about an hour earlier and wasn’t inside when its engine caught fire. It was not immediately known why the engine ended up on fire.
Firefighters put out the blaze without incident – and there were no injuries reported, he said.
A group of neighborhood kids had gathered to watch the firefighters in action, so the first responders used the opportunity to deputize the young audience, outfitting them with plastic fire helmets and giving them a quick lesson on how to use the hose.
“The street was filled with 20 kids and our guys carry around plastic fire helmets because it’s good PR,” Steker said. “Once we’re done mitigating whatever the problem is, we always try to let kids jump on the rig and things like that.”
One of the kids looking on was the son of the woman whose vehicle had caught on fire.
“We asked her ‘hey, would he like to try the hose’ and he said, ‘oh my god oh my god.’ So we let the kids line up and use the hose,” said Steker.
The fire department allows kids to do this a few times a year, usually at planned events like block parties – or the upcoming St. Baldrick’s fundraiser for pediatric cancer the department will take part in April 5 .
This time, though, Steker said it was important to turn a potentially scary event – the kids seeing the vehicle ablaze – into something fun.
Jesse Wright is a freelancer.
