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Allowing children to try on fire gear and helmets during PR details.
I have been trying to find documented cases of neck injuries of children from trying on fire helmets during PR details. I see many times where members of my department and other departments allow kids to put on their fire helmets. From a liability standpoint this practice concerns me, but I have not been able to prove this practice can cause injuries. Any help would be appreciated.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Curt Wiederin on
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I tried googling this and find nothing. I let kids wear my helmet during fieldtrips classes make to the department and when going to schools. This has never been a concern with my current or past departments. Letting kids wear the gear allows the kids to hav fun while learnig what we teach them. I don't believe this is a concern of liability. The reason you can't find anything is that there is probably no cases of injuries caused by helmets worn by kids at fire department PR with kids. I could be wrong but I have never heard of that ever happening. If you do find any cases let me know and good luck in your search.
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Permalink Reply by Fireman Larry on
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If your that concerned, maybe have an SOG on the subject. Anytime, there's a concern with public health as a result of departments action, make it clear how to proceed. I'd recommend, if you know in advance, that your doing a demonstration, take in a set of gear that is clean, from the back room. Don't place smoky, damp mildewed, contaminated gear on a child. The same with the helmet, the Chief's helmet is the one they'd want to wear, take an extra, explain how heavy it is, kids are smart, they'll learn quickly.
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Permalink Reply by Gregory Borg on
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You worry too much, chill.
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Permalink Reply by Russ on
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i had a chief "claim" it happened and stopped us from doing it...the next week we had to stop wearing mirrored sunglassess because "a person could see how bad they were injured and be emotionally harmed forever" (like the accident, hurst tool, ambulance sirens wont give them a clue)...my favorite was we had to stop carrying buck knives because any folded blade in excess of 4 inches was a weapon in florida. (according to the cops, it pertained to non folding knives) but we could not sell the chief on what the law actually said, so we all went out and got gerbers
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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I have to agree with Jim here, especially in the case of head lice. This is something usually not considered when allowing kids to put on the gear.
While it may be "cute" for a kid to put on oversized gear, what are you really teaching them when you do that? Certainly not fire prevention. Do they have to physically put it on to see if it is heavy? Now a good looking teacher on the other hand....
Really, the focus of fire education should be about that. What we do when we get groups is have a member dress out in their own gear. We go through the process of putting the stuff on, ask if this makes the person look scary as we go, etc. When the FF is dressed out, we allow the kids to come up and touch the FF and listen to them on air etc. After all, if the kid experiences a fire that night, what should they really remember about the education?......how they looked in the gear, or the more important aspects of fire prevention?
Keep the gear off the kids.
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Permalink Reply by Timothy D. Stone Jr on
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So even after we have finished the whole fire prevention speech, or what have you. We shouldn't let the children that would like to try on gear to see what its like have a shot to do such. I know any kid that would like to try on my gear, helmet, or hold my radio or pager, will be allowed to. But the education will be there. As long as the education is there, weather its at the prevention show every year, or if they take a trip to the hall there should be now problem with the children haveing some fun.
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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hang on there, mate...you can't have that knife, it's an offensive weapon...now hand me that axe!
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I used to let bigger kids (I guess around 5 years old) put on my jacket and helmet, although I didn't do it very often. I would not let them run around with it, though.
It is department policy here to not allow kids to wear a helmet, so we don't.
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Permalink Reply by David Purcell on
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There was a story going around maybe 20 years ago about a helmet sliding back on a child's head and the chin strap hooking the chin and causing a neck injury as the helmet continued to slide off.
But I would never be able to find any documentation at this point.
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So even after we have finished the whole fire prevention speech, or what have you. We shouldn't let the children that would like to try on gear to see what its like have a shot to do such
That's exactly what I'm saying, keep the gear off of kids. Fine if you want to dress out a teacher or if your kid/ niece, nephew is in the group, but not just any kid. What is the greater focus here? the fire prevention message or happy fun time for the kids? Trust me, they will still be happy just to go to the firestation and see the trucks without having to try on gear.
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Permalink Reply by Corey Carr on
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I think its a great practice. I don't see anything wrong with letting kids put on fire gear during certain prevention events. I mean you stand right beside them when they pput it on.
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Permalink Reply by Alan McGuigan on
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Our station use to have the kids try on bunker gear and helmets, the kids really enjoyed it . But a number of years ago our Fire admin came out with a policy that this practice was no longer allowed because there was a report case of neck injury? I did not get a copy of the report. But it does make sense especially with smaller children our helmets are pretty heavy and a quick move by a child with a helmet on could cause injury ( kids can be pretty excited and move pretty fast )
The second issue is the containments on the equipment no matter how often your gear gets cleaned there is a possibility that the gear is contaminated with smoke particles chemicals etc.. Its not worth the risk to expose small children to these dangers no matter how small the risk may be
What we have done is to purchase sets of children’s bunker gear this stuff looks exactly like the real stuff but sized for kids
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