A firefighter is a community helper who protects people from fire and keeps them safe. Firefighters work for the fire department and can help us in many ways. Firefighters wear special clothes and equipment to keep them safe.
Some children are scared by the look and sounds of firefighter equipment. Explaining how the equipment helps a firefighter stay safe while working is important. Becoming familiar with the role of the firefighter and the sight and sound of the equipment can lessen a child’s potential fear during a fire and encourage cooperation during life-saving fire rescue incidents.
In this lesson, children will learn to:
- explain how firefighters are community helpers.
- explain how a uniform helps a community helper stay safe.
- acknowledge that children do not need to fear firefighters, even when they are wearing gear.
Download the lesson. (PDF, 6 MB)
Bonus videos with Sparky the Fire Dog
Whose Hat is That? This interactive 2-minute video can be used to introduce the lesson if the suggested book is unavailable.
The Gear Firefighters Wear This 3-minute video helps children understand that a firefighter’s gear might look and sound scary but there is a community helper underneath. The video is useful to supplement the discussion in the body of the lesson. It can also be used to close or extend the lesson.