Visit to Police & Fire Station, 27th August 2016

Written by: Joanne Koong, Assistant Sixer & Scribe

The foyer was filled with chatter. Today we were going to the Queenstown police and the fire station. Some of the P5 and P6 went for the Akela award interview. “ Okay. Now, we are going to check if everyone has brought their consent forms,” Raksha announced. Everyone instinctively stood up and our names were called out.

Soon, we found ourselves at the station. My group went to the police station followed by the fire station. We were then briefed about what a policeman has to wear. The five main equipment are 10 bullets, a rifle, a taser, a T-baton and a pair of handcuffs. We went to the armoury and learnt that only one person is allowed in the armoury at one time. We were then briefed about what would happen if we bullied other people or stole. If we bullied someone, there is a chance that we may go to jail! Last but not least, they explained the insides of a police car.

 Not long after we went to the fire station. At the fire station, we found ourselves beside a pump ladder on a fiery red fire engine. There were 3 main cabins, 2 at the sides and 1 at the back. The 2 cabins at the side contained all the equipment firemen need to put out a fire such as hoses, all sorts of tools and fire extinguishers. The only thing missing is the water! It is contained in the back cabin, which can hold up to 2400 litres of water! Sitting on a nearby table, were the special breathing apparatus which is used when there is a lack of oxygen.

 Last but not least, we reached a fireman’s pole! There, we learnt the three ways of sliding down the fireman’s pole. The bear hug, the Singapore style and the satay! The bear hug was when a single person would ‘hug’ the pole while sliding down. The Singapore style was a bit awkward. The satay style is when many people do the Singapore style on the fireman’s pole at the same time. The fireman showed us a demo and it was hilarious!

Next up, the ‘bowling alley’! We were trained to throw the hose well, so that our friends could catch it. Anika was the only one who was able to extinguish the ‘fire’! Well done Anika! In a blink of an eye, it was time to go. Saying good-bye with heavy hearts, we boarded the bus. Ah! What a wonderful day!