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CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY WARNER BROS.
Dave: KIDS LOVE TO PLAY WITH FIRE TRUCKS,
BUT HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE
TO BE A REAL FIREFIGHTER?
[SIREN WAILING]
I'M
WELL, I'M NOT REALLY A FIREFIGHTER,
BUT THE REAL FIREFIGHTERS HAVE AGREED
TO LET ME PRETEND FOR THE DAY.
SO, YOU AND I ARE GONNA FIND OUT
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A FIREFIGHTER,
AND ALL ABOUT ALL THE GREAT EQUIPMENT THEY USE.
SO WHAT DO YOU SAY WE CHECK IT OUT?
Dave: MOST FIREFIGHTERS LIVE AT THE FIRE STATION
WHEN THEY'RE ON DUTY.
WHEN THEY AREN'T FIGHTING FIRES,
THEY HAVE CHORES TO DO,
JUST LIKE THE REST OF US.
WELL, YOU WERE ASKING ME
WHAT'S IT'S LIKE TO BE A FIREFIGHTER.
, WELL, T'S LIKE.
IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD.
I'VE HELD A NUMBER OF JOBS,
AND I'VE BEEN WITH THE FIRE SERVICE NOW
FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS,
AND I REALLY ENJOY IT.
WE WORK 24-HOUR SHIFTS.
THERE'S 8 OF US AT OUR STATION.
THEREFORE, WE HAVE TO GET ALONG.
THIS IS MY SECOND FAMILY.
I HAVE A FAMILY AT HOME,
AND I HAVE A FAMILY IN THE FIRE SERVICE.
OUR ACTUAL WORK DAY STARTS AT 8:00.
STATION AND EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE.
EVERY DAY, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE EQUIPMENT,
MAINTAINING THE STATION, MOPPING THE FLOORS,
CLEANING OUT THE RESTROOMS, WASHING THE FIRE TRUCKS,
MAKING SURE ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT IS READY TO GO.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU CALL 911 AND WE'RE NOT READY,
THE WHOLE SYSTEM FALLS APART.
FIRE DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY.
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM, MA'AM?
AND YOUR ADDRESS?
IS THAT A HOUSE OR AN APARTMENT?
AND YOUR NAME?
AND WHAT'S YOUR PHONE NUMBER, AGATHA?
OK, GET EVERYBODY OUT OF THE HOUSE,
AND WE'LL SEND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, OK?
[ALARM BLARES]
131. 135, TRUCK 131.
STRUCTURE FIRE. 500 EAST NOCKA.
FIVE-ZERO-ZERO EAST NOCKA,
CROSS STREET SALTANA.
[ALARM BLARES]
Dave: WHEN AN EMERGENCY CALL COMES IN,
THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE TO BE READY FOR ACTION.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT READY,
YOU'LL GET LEFT BEHIND.
[SIREN WAILING]
WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE FIREMAN DAVE
MISSED THE FIRE TRUCK.
I'LL JUST HAVE TO TRY TO BE FASTER NEXT TIME.
FIREFIGHTERS HAVE TO BE SPECIALLY EQUIPPED
IN THE CLOTHES THEY WEAR AS WELL
IN ORDER TO STAY SAFE WHEN FIGHTING FIRES.
THIS IS FIREFIGHTER CLIFF,
AND HE'S GOING TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE SPECIALIZED CLOTHING
THAT THEY HAVE TO WEAR.
WELL, FIREFIGHTER DAVE,
LET'S START AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OUTFIT,
P.
ALL RIGHT.
YOU NOTICE THE BOOTS THAT YOU HAVE ON.
THOSE ARE STEEL-TOED RUBBER BOOTS.
THOSE ARE TO PROTECT THE FIREFIGHTER'S FEET.
YOU GO INTO A BURNING BUILDING,
A LOT OF TIMES THERE MIGHT BE NAILS OR GLASS
OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
SO, IT HELPS PROTECT THE FEET BY SHARP OBJECTS,
AND ALSO THE TOES ARE STEEL
IN CASE SOMETHING FALLS ON 'EM.
MM-HMM.
NOW, THE PANTS AND THE JACKET
THAT YOU'RE WEARING
ARE MADE OUT OF A MATERIAL CALLED NOMEX.
NOW, THIS IS A FLAME RETARDANT MATERIAL.
IT HELPS TO REDUCE THE FLAME OR THE HEAT
ON THE UNIFORM.
NOW, ALSO, YOU WEAR YOUR HELMET.
IT'S A HARD PLASTIC.
IT HELPS TO PROTECT YOUR HEAD
IN CASE OF THINGS FALLING FROM THE SKY,
THAT SORT OF THING.
THE ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER
FIRE,
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE ALL OF THIS GOOD EQUIPMENT ON,
ALSE
WHEN YOU GET INTO A BURNING BUILDING,
HOT--
SOMETIMES 1,200 DEGREES.
WITH ALL THIS PROTECTIVE CLOTHING ON,
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO REALLY FEEL ALL OF THAT HEAT.
THAT'S WHY FIREFIGHTERS
WORK ON WHAT WE CALL THE BUDDY SYSTEM.
WE GO INTO A BUILDING TOGETHER.
WE PROTECT EACH OTHER.
IF I SEE THAT YOU'RE GETTING IN TROUBLE
OR MAYBE YOU'RE GETTING TOO CLOSE TO THE FIRE,
I CAN TAP YOU ON THE SHOULDER AND SAY,
"COME ON, FIREFIGHTER DAVE,
LET'S GET OUT. IT'S GETTING TOO DANGEROUS."
THAT'S WHY WE WEAR THE PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
THAT YOU HAVE ON--
THE HELMET, THE PANTS,
THE COAT, THE BOOTS, AND ALSO OUR GLOVES.
HELPS US DO OUR JOB A LITTLE BETTER.
ALL RIGHT. I GUESS WE'RE READY
TO GO FIGHT A FIRE.
YOU BET.
[SIREN WAILING]
Dave: WHOOPS.
I GUESS I FORGOT TO SHUT OFF THE VALVE.
I SUPPOSE YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AGAIN.
[LAUGHTER]
Man: GOOD ONE.
Dave: WELL, I GUESS BEING A FIREFIGHTER
ISN'T AS EASY AS I THOUGHT.
FROM NOW ON,
FIREMAN DAVE
IS GOING TO LEAVE THE FIRE FIGHTING
UP TO THE REAL FIREFIGHTERS.
THESE BIG LEGS ARE PUT OUT ONE BY ONE
TO STABILIZE THE FIRE TRUCK
SO THE BIG LADDER CAN BE PUT IN THE AIR.
ONCE THESE SUPPORT LEGS ARE IN PLACE,
THEY KEEP THE TRUCK FROM TIPPING OVER.
THE FIREFIGHTERS PREPARE TO RAISE THE BIG LADDER.
THAT THERE ARE NO DANGEROUS POWER LINES
TO GET IN THE WAY.
THE BIG LADDER AND BASKET CAN GO 100 FEET IN THE AIR.
A FIRE TRUCK IS A REAL COMPLICATED MACHINE,
BUT IN THE COCKPIT,
IT'S PRETTY MUCH LIKE A REGULAR TRUCK,
EXCEPT THERE ARE LOTS OF BUTTONS AND SWITCHES.
I ASKED ONE OF THE REAL FIREFIGHTERS
TO SHOW ME HOW THEY WORK.
A FIRE TRUCK WORKS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME
AS A REGULAR TRUCK DRIVES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA BUTTONS
TO DEAL WITH, THOUGH,
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU
WHAT SOME OF THOSE BUTTONS DO TODAY.
UP HERE,
WE HAVE BUTTONS
JUST LIKE YOUR REGULAR TRUCK DOES--
FOR LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS
AND MARKER LIGHTS AND THOSE THINGS.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE OVER HERE ONE SWITCH
THAT TURNS ON ALL THE RED LIGHTS
ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, I CAN TURN OFF THOSE LIGHTS INDIVIDUALLY
IF I WANT, BUT ONE SWITCH WILL TURN 'EM ON
ALL AT THE SAME TIME
WHEN I TURN THAT SWITCH ON.
THEN, DOWN HERE ON THE FLOORBOARD,
WE HAVE SOME BUTTONS
THAT IF I PUSH WITH MY FOOT,
THEY WILL ACTIVATE THE SIREN
AND MAKE THE SIREN GO.
AND THEN OVER HERE IS ANOTHER ONE
FOR THE AIR HORN.
UM, AND THEN
WE HAVE ONE MORE THING
IT'S ANOTHER KIND OF SIREN.
VE 2.
AND THIS SIREN IS THE ELECTRONIC SIREN,
AND YOU CAN TURN THIS ON
JUST BY TURNING THE SWITCH UP HERE.
WELL, IF YOU LISTEN CLOSE,
YOU'D PROBABLY NOTICE THAT FIRE TRUCKS
HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SIRENS,
AND THEY COME FROM DIFFERENT PLACES
ON THE FIRE TRUCK.
THIS MACHINE HAS 3 DIFFERENT SIRENS.
THIS ONE HERE IS THE MECHANICAL SIREN--
THAT'S THE MAIN SIREN THAT YOU HEAR MOST OF THE TIME.
THEN RIGHT HERE, THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC SIREN.
IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE AN AMBULANCE SIREN.
THEY USE THAT OCCASIONALLY, TOO.
NOW, THESE ARE THE AIR HORNS.
THESE ARE THE BIG HORNS THAT HONK TO WARN THE CARS
TO GET OUT OF THE WAY.
[SIREN WAILING, AIR HORN BLOWING]
THIS IS A FIRE ENGINE,
AND THIS IS USED FOR PUMPING WATER.
HOWEVER, WE DO CARRY A COUPLE OF LADDERS,
AND THIS IS HOW WE STORE THEM
AND WHERE WE KEEP THEM.
BACK HERE IS WHERE THE FIREFIGHTER SITS,
AND THAT'S WHERE HE RIDES ON HIS WAY TO THE FIRE.
AND IN THIS COMPARTMENT,
WE CARRY OUR WATER JUG,
AND THAT'S SO THAT WHEN WE'RE FIGHTING A FIRE,
WE GET A LITTLE DEHYDRATED,
WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE WATER.
AND WE CARRY FUSES AND ASSORTED TOOLS AND THINGS
WHAT WE CALL OUR ENGINEER'S PUMP PADDLE,
AND THIS IS WHERE ALL THE GAUGES
AND VALVES AND THINGS ARE
THAT WE CAN MAKE WATER, DIVERT WATER,
FROM ONE DISCHARGE TO ANOTHER
OR OPEN UP ANOTHER VALVE
E PUMP.
IN HERE, WE CARRY EXTRA AIR BOTTLES,
AND THESE ARE THE SAME BOTTLES
ARATUS.
BACK HERE WE HAVE THE ENGINE
THAT DRIVES THIS ENGINE.
IT MAKES IT GO, AND MAKES THE PUMP WORK.
WE ALSO HAVE THE HOSE.
WE HAVE OUR 4-INCH HOSE,
AND THERE'S ENOUGH HOSE HERE
IN THIS HOSE BED
TO GO FROM HERE
TO ABOUT 5 BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET.
AND ON THAT SIDE,
WE HAVE A 2 1/2-INCH HOSE,
AND THERE'S ENOUGH HOSE IN THERE
TO GO 12 FOOTBALL FIELDS LONG.
AND WE USE THAT HOSE
TO HOOK UP TO A FIRE HYDRANT
AND THEN GET WATER FROM THE FIRE HYDRANT
TO WHERE THE FIRE IS.
THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A MONITOR.
THIS IS WHAT WE USE ON BIG FIRES,
BECAUSE IT CAN FLOW 1,000 GALLONS OF WATER A MINUTE.
WE CAN MOVE IT TO ANY SIDE
OF THE ENGINE WE WANT,
AND IT'S SO POWERFUL
THAT IT CAN KNOCK WALLS DOWN.
IN THESE COMPARTMENTS HERE,
WE KEEP OUR FIRST AID SUPPLIES,
AND WE USE THESE BECAUSE WE GO OUT
ON A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN HURT OR ARE SICK.
AND THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT WE NEED
