Fire Station open day a big success
Airlie Beach Fire Station staged a successful open day last weekend.
Whitsunday
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A FIRE hose might be effective for extinguishing a flame but it failed to douse the excitement of children attending the Airlie Beach Fire Station open day on Saturday.
The station, home to permanent and auxiliary members, was thrown open to the public, allowing visitors the opportunity to discover what happened behind the scenes.
Visitors were treated to a tour of the facilities followed by an opportunity to sit in the fire trucks and explore the many gadgets, attachments and other equipment they carried.
However, much to the amusement of firefighters, the highlight of the day was the fire hose.
Children dressed in fireman hats and over-sized gloves took turns directing the hose at a large tree nearby, under the watchful eyes of firefighters Dave Gibson and Derek McAlister.
Lieutenant Brodyn Friend said the team successfully achieved what they set out to do at the open day.
"We were trying to get the people in for the purpose of seeing how we worked and signing up. It was definitely successful,” he said.
"I think everybody enjoyed it. Every single kid had a smile from ear to ear. I definitely think the hose seemed to be the fun bit there.
"I'd like to make it an annual thing at a minimum.”
Lt Friend said they had hoped to show visiting children that firefighters were there to help.
"We did get around and talk to a lot of kids. They were very interactive with the firefighters there,” he said.
"Normally the kids hide behind mum because you're a stranger but we hope from the response we got, they understood.
"They could see past the flashing lights and the sirens and see that we're just people too.”
Lt Friend said about 10 people registered their interest in Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and about 150-200 people walked through the doors.
"I think the whole lot was a big win,” he said.
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