Firefighters
*** Written by Katie Knight
<<< Introduction
Can you hear the loud siren? It is the sound of firefighters rushing to fight a fire in their bright red fire truck. Firefighters put out fires and save people whose lives are in danger. They also help to prevent fires from starting , they inspect buildings, and they educate people about fire safety.
<<< Types of fires
Firefighters fight many different kinds of fires. They put out house, shop, and factory fires.They fight fires in skyscrapers and other buildings. They also fight forest fires. Firefighters must be ready to respond quickly to many kinds of fires and other dangerous situations.
<<< Firefighting equipment
Firefighters use many different tools to fight fires. They use large hoses to spray water or special foam on fires. They use ladders to reach high places. They chop holes in doors, roofs, and walls with axes to reach places safely.
Smoke masks and air tanks protect firefighters from smoke. Firefighters use large fans to remove smoke from rooms. They also use fire extinguishers to put out small fires.
<<< Firefighting machines
The fire truck is an important firefighting machine. There are four major kinds of fire trucks. The most common is the pumper truck. It carries long hoses and a pump to spray water over long distances.
Other kinds of fire trucks include ladder trucks, tanker trucks, and rescue trucks. Ladder trucks carry ladders of many different sizes. Big ladder trucks have a ladder that can reach up to eight stories high. Tanker trucks carry water to fight fires in places without water. Rescue trucks carry equipment to help rescue people who are trapped.
There are other kinds of firefighting machines, too. Fireboats fight fires on other boats that are in the water. They pump water from under the boat and spray it on the fire.
Helicopters dump water on fires in places that trucks cannot reach . large planes help fight forest fires Sometimes planes dump fire - retardant chemicals instead of water to slow the spread of a forest fire .
<<< Becoming a firefighter
You must be at least 18 years old to be a firefighter. Before you can become a firefighter, you must pass a fitness test. You must be in very good shape to fight fires. You also must pass a written test.
Firefighters go to firefighting school for training. They learn how to fight different kinds of fires. They also learn how to rescue people and how to treat injuries.
<<< Summary
Every year, fires destroy thousands of buildings. Fires also take many lives and destroy large areas of forest. Long ago, fires burned down entire cities. Fire can damage buildings very quickly because there was no way to stop fires from spreading. But today, we have brave firefighters to put out fires and help to keep us safe.
