I’ve been asking C to bring us to the Fire Station Open House ever since I heard about it, and we finally visited the Sengkang Fire Station last Saturday morning.
Noah was really excited when we told him that we were going to the Fire Station, and kept asking us where it was. Good thing we didn’t tell him our plans the night before, or he might have been unable to sleep!
Sengkang Fire Station
We started the tour with an introduction to the Red Rhino, before going round the station to see the other emergency vehicles. Noah was most interested in the fire engine, and was thrilled to be able to sit in all the vehicles as well.
Emergency vehicles galore
The firemen showed us how they got water from a fire hydrant, and the children all got to learn how to use the fire hose and mist gun.
Tools used for the fire hydrant
Using the fire hose
Using the mist gun
There was a demonstration on how the firemen usually deal with car accidents, which was quite interesting.
The damaged cars
The equipment used
Removing the door
We watched the firemen put on their protective gear, and learnt that it weighs a whooping 17kg! They then have to carry hoses that are about 10kg, as well as other heavy equipment needed to fight fires, while RUNNING. Wow.
Putting on their gear
This is the alarm that goes off if a fireman doesn’t move after 30 seconds while he’s fighting a fire
Noah with a fireman in full gear
The 10kg hose
We checked out the firemen’s pole, and learnt that each pole serves only two storeys. For some reason, I always thought that there was only one pole that ran from the top of the building, all the way to the bottom.
Firemen’s pole
Our tour ended with a visit to the control room, where we saw the map of the large area covered by Sengkang Fire Station. They’ve got only eight minutes to travel to the scene of the accident or fire, which is quite amazing, considering how far they have to go. They can control the traffic lights directly outside the fire station, but that’s about it.
The map
Part of the control panel
C and I both learnt quite a bit from our visit, and agreed that it was a really educational experience. Noah probably didn’t learn very much, but he definitely had a lot of fun! Sergeant Ubaidah told us that we should also visit the other fire stations if we can, as they have different equipment, and will probably have different ways of conducting the tours. The Central Fire Station also has a museum there, and I’ve heard that there are kid-sized uniforms there for them to try.
The Fire Station Open House happens every Saturday, from 9am to 11am, at all the fire stations (except Jurong Island Fire Station) around Singapore. Do go early, as there is quite a lot to see and do. Admission is free, and no registration is required, unless you have a group of more than 10 people. For more information, visit the SCDF website here. To find out the locations of the fire stations, visit the SCDF Facilities Locator here.
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