Kids always have a question...

[Co11FireGal]

Over the last couple of years, I have spent a great deal of time working with kids, doing various fire prevention and safety programs for the community. Kids ALWAYS seem to have about a million questions...Most of the questions seem to be centered around, "How big is the fire truck? Do you have a fire dog?" Etc...Now every once in a while, there will be one that a kid has clearly put a lot of thought into, and occasionally there will be one that is just totally off the wall. I have started putting the questions into the community section of the dept. newsletter that I do every month, and they seem to get a lot of laughs.

So, what funny, thoughtful, or just plain strange things have kids asked you? Ever had a question that just stumped you? I sure have...:rolleyes: What did you tell them?

What about adults? I once had to explain to a member of the town council, why the fire hydrant that a car took out WASN'T full of water when the town workers picked it up. "No Mr. Councilman, the hydrant was NOT out of service, it was fine...":p

[ullrichk]

Sometimes the odd question has some real thought behind it - it just comes from that odd perspective that only kids have.

I had a 1st grader ask me if rocks could burn. I scratched my head on that one, but because the question was sincere I gave a straight answer to the apparent satisfaction of the student.

I later found out from the mother that he had been afraid that the stone fireplace in their house might catch fire. Because I was an authority on the matter (so far as the student was concerned, anyway ;) ) his fears were put to rest.

Ain't this job great? :D

[dmleblanc]

I sometimes have problems with the ones who raise their hand with a question, but end up having a story instead (usually the real little ones)...."Ummm....one time....my cousin....ummm....he had a fire at his house, and....ummmm.......the fire department had to come....and, ummm.......)I'm sure you've all experienced this kid.:rolleyes:

Then there's the ones who come up with these way off the wall questions....When we were discussing escape plans, get out-stay out, that kind of thing:

Kid: "What if you bedroom is full of toys and stuff, and you can't get to your door?"

Me: "Well, perhaps you can clean up your room and make sure you can get around in it..."

Kid: "OK, but what if someone comes and puts thumbtacks all over your bedroom floor so you can't get of bed and they stick you in your feet if you walk on them?"

Me: "Have you ever had someone put thumbtacks all over your bedroom floor?"

Kid: "Ummm.....No.." :rolleyes:

[ROOKIELZ]

One Cold (-42*), dark night we went on a run. Back at the hall, the Mayor was driving past. Stopped and actually had the nerve to say "you guys don't really go out in this, do you?"

DUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHH...

[lieutleroy140]

OK, here is one question I got that should have everybody laughing their *****es off. A little backgound...... When I was still a blueshirt, my shift, and in particular, me, was missing much of the fire activity that was going on. Our shift wasn't catching that much work, and it seemed that whenever we did catch one, I was off, tied up at an EMS call, or some such thing. As a result, being young and full of urine and vinegar, it used to really get my goat. I was kind of hypersensitive, and the boys really used to bust my balls over it. But, they wouldn't do it if they didn't like you, right? Anyways, the long running joke was that Leroy was still waiting to catch his first fire. One day, we have a tour of Tiger Cubs and like 8-10 parents as well, if I remember correctly it was in the early evening. I do most of the talking, as I seem to get along good with kids, having 3 of my own, and we are nearing the end, the question and answer part. I take the usual "Do you have a dalmation?" questions and ones like that. This one kid raises his hand and I call on him. He says, "Is it true that you have never been in a fire?" Well, my jaw hits the floor, and I'm speechless. I see in the background some of my shift mates, and one guy in particular, laughing like hyenas. I knew right away which one planted that idea in this kid's head, and so did the Lt. He got his lumps later in the office, but it WAS hysterical. We still have a good laugh over that one every now and then. And no, it isn't true. I have been to a fire or 2 in my career.

[CaptainGonzo]

I turn the tables on them and ask them the question...

"what do you do if you are trapped by fire in a room with no windows or doors?"

That keeps them quiet for a minute or two and it's fun to watch the expressions on their faces as they try to figure that one out! ;) :D :p

[mmutk2000]

I usually have kids with soo many questions that I don't have time to attempt more than one or two.

When it comes to question time.. I have found it productive to tell the kids "Who has a question and not a story." About %80 of the hands go down and I can usually get some good questions that way.

[Co11FireGal]

Originally posted by CaptainGonzo
I turn the tables on them and ask them the question...

"what do you do if you are trapped by fire in a room with no windows or doors?"

That keeps them quiet for a minute or two and it's fun to watch the expressions on their faces as they try to figure that one out! ;) :D :p

Forget little kids...I'm going to ask everyone that at our next drill...I'm betting I can get at least 2 or 3 people to really think about it...:rolleyes: :p Someone will probably try to tell me that that's why we carry axes.:D

[hwoods]

Originally posted by Co11FireGal


Forget little kids...I'm going to ask everyone that at our next drill...I'm betting I can get at least 2 or 3 people to really think about it...:rolleyes: :p Someone will probably try to tell me that that's why we carry axes.:D

I'm betting that someone will ask if you should just follow the line back out.........:D :D :D

[firefighterbeau]

Well back to answering questions from kids, I had the chance to go talk to some kids and there teacher was mine in 3rd grade so I was kinda excited. When I go there and did my presentation they were askin all sorts of stuff and I answered the questions, then they were lookin at my gear that was my personal stuff from college. I had completely forgotten about the ''I love Hooters'' sticker on the inside of my helmet, so then the little ones started asking about that. What a moment!

[ROOKIELZ]

I hope you told them that hooters were the alien equivilant to car horns in the US.:D

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

I always start the "question and answer" portion of my kiddy pub ed talks with the tride and true "a question is who,what,where,when and why. I take no prisoners. As soon as I figure out its a story.."One time my cousin"... I just tell them ,"Thats a story not a question" the teachers even laugh at my rapid fire response. All in good humor of course. Slightly off topic, but one time I thought it would be nice if I sat in one of the little first grade chairs..You know to get down to "their level".. Ooops, my weight did not match the chairs rated capacity and it broke.. Being the idiot that I can be at times, I let out an "s-bomb" on my way down. Those kiddies showed no mercy "Oooh the fireman said a bad word". So please try not to swear like I did.. :o

[sassy1]

I have been given considerable confidence by my pediatric patients. Particularly a little girl who I let use my pesonal cell phone while transporting her to the ED. She was frightened and her mom had a considerable commute to reach the hospital. Well I guess the phone and our conversation went over well because as we pulled into the ambulance bay she smiled and asked- " Are you my doctor now?":)

[LFD2203]

Gonz, I had a 5 year old girl ask me the "how will you get me out of my house if there are no windows, then no doors, etc." This little girl was very scared. I sat down with her, and asked her how she could get into the room with no windows or doors? That still did not calm her fears. So then, we took her out to the apparatus, and spent a lot of time explaining with detail each forcible entry tool that we could use to get her if she should find herself trapped in the room with no windows or doors. she finally seemed to take comfort that we had the tools to get her out of that windowless/doorless room.

[Engine76]

"What's your favorite color?"

Don't tell kids you will answer any question...they will take that very literally. :D

[Bones42]

During fire prevention at the school, one kid asked why we carry T.N.T. He was looking at the road flares and recognized them from the Roadrunner cartoons.

Another year at fire prevention, as the one of the trucks was backing around a turn, it hit a fence, broke the ladder brackets and the ladder fell to the ground. We were able to tie it back in place and went on with the day. Middle of the day, a kid walks up and asks "Why'd you back into the fence?" :o

[CaptainMikey]

The best was when I was riding with as an explorer on a peds call. Type green fall. 5yoa I was in the jumpseat(rear facing) and halfway through our transport the kid turned around to me and asked "who the hell are you" In a five yearolds voice. Ive never seen a kid that young use a curse word.

The funniest was when we were doing a pr last october, I was an explorer that that point. I was incharge of giving out hats and stickers and giving a tour of the crew compartment and my side of the truck. Someone else was giving the tours of the officers and drivers compartments. There was a 7yearold in the officers seat. When he jumped out of the seat, His feet landed on the Q and the Horn foot pedals. The q wound up before he figured out what he was doing. Scared the crap out of me. But I cant figure out how he did it if the truck was off??? And yes the battery was off.

[Moose2028]

my dad rolled a truck a couple of years ago. he totaled the truck. the story went out in the paper but it was a small article and no names were given.


he goes around to the schools every year for fire prevention week. one kid came up to him about three years after the roll, and asked him if he ever rolled a truck. he answered it the best way he could and sound proffisonal (sp).

Tkid was much too young to rember the incident, so my dad went up to the other ff there and asked him if he set the kid up. he said no. about four years later the ff finaly ammited that he set the kid up. it was hilarous.