By: Katie Byers

Pujols Family Foundation families had a blast at the first annual Firehouse Family Safety Day at Metro West Fire Protection District Firehouse on June 3, 2017.

This event was an opportunity to introduce self advocates and their families to firefighters and familiarize them with fire safety in a fun and exciting environment.

The day was full of enjoyable activities to teach families what to do in case of a fire emergency. One of the activities included watching a fireman gear up. The fireman began in regular clothes, then walked through the process of suiting up for an emergency situation, showing the kids and their families that firemen are just regular people, even though they may look different in emergency situations. Kids learned to stop, drop, and roll, how to exit a smoke-filled room if they were ever caught in a fire and how to dial 911.

At the DJ booth, kids were able to make fancy spin art with their favorite colors and watch it hang dry. At the front of the parking lot, firefighters had a bubble machine that filled the air with hundreds of bubbles. There was an area for the kids to put out a pretend fire, and an obstacle course. Families were also able to check out both the fire engine and ambulance and climb inside! These activities were sure to work up an appetite, so we had lots of food for everyone including hot dogs, chips, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream, and a sno-cone machine.

After an afternoon filled with food, games, and music, it is safe to say that the first ever Firehouse Family Safety Day was a success!

Special Thanks:
To Metro West Fire Protection District Firehouse, Michael and Stacey Starck for all their hard work and time, for providing the perfect space and DJ, and for ensuring that this event went on without a hitch. Thank you to Cold Stone Creamery for providing ice cream, Aqua Systems for the bottled water, photographer Reema Shah, and to all of our volunteers.