Vancouver, WA

I try to find something for my daughter and I to do on the weekends that is cheap and fun for her. Well, we found something to do on Saturday, the 4th of October and even I had fun. The City of Vancouver Fire Department has it’s headquarters off Andresen and Minnehaha Streets, you can get there on the #78 78th Street C-TRAN Bus, where they had an open house to promote safety. It was so cool. In front of the station there was a house with hinged wooden windows, inside the windows there were flames painted on the wood. The firemen let you spray water on the fake flames which flipped down to make it look like the fire was put out. That was really cool and my daughter AKA “Monks” was able to be a “firefighter” saving the day.

Then inside the fire station they had a booth for you to have your child measured for a bike helmet that you could buy for only $10.00, we didn’t need to do that since we have a bike helmet already. Of course if you knew my kid you would it is pink. A must in a house of a very girly girl, where pink is her only color.
                                                   
They also had a 911 information booths that gave instructions on what to do and how to be prepare for an emergency. It had examples of what items you should have in your home during an emergency situation. Everywhere you looked there was a booth with stickers and good information on safety.
                                                  
My daughters favorite booth was the Teddy Bear Clinic, where they got a teddy bear and told the volunteer where the boo boo was, so teddy got the right treatment. Ours got a broken arm and needed a band aid on the other arm. If you are wondering, Teddy is doing much better; no more band-aid but there is still a cast and the sling will be on for a couple more weeks.

Monks was measured to make sure she was in the correct safety seat for the car. While you got this information, the kids got to make buttons.
                                           
We also got to meet a real Dalmatian. Her name is Ariel and she was such a great sport with the kids, staying there on the old fashioned fire truck and gettin her picture taken many times.
                           
Outside of the firestation we got to see them put out a fire in a car and Monks got to find out how to get out of a second story window and climb down a ladder. This was done with so much fun that the kids had no idea they where learning anything at all, it was worth the time and trip. For a couple of hours she had lots of fun and learned something in the meantime.

Vancouver Fire Department holds an open house for safety promotion at least once a year, so we’ll see you next time. We’ll be the ones hanging with Smokey the Bear.