Bridgewater firefighters cool kids off with a message

6 years ago

BRIDGEWATER, Maine — The Bridgewater Fire Department visited area kids last week to help keep the high temperatures at bay.

On Tuesday, July 3, and Thursday, July 5, the Bridgewater Recreation Department hosted the fire department for what has become an annual event filled with meeting the firefighters, safety messages, and lots of time to play in the water.

The kids spent over an hour playing with a giant sprinkler called a water curtain that is designed to isolate burning buildings from nearby structures, and fire hoses that they use to play a soccer-like game where they push a ball through a goal.

According to Matthew Powers, department training officer, all hoses are run at a low pressure to keep everyone safe, and to keep the water flowing for as long as possible.

“The primary goal for the fire department in these events is to keep active engagement with the children in town, so if they ever have an emergency, they will recognize the faces of the firefighters that are there to protect them,” Powers said.

The firefighters always bring a safety message to these events, and this year they discussed the need to stay hydrated during hot weather, and shared with the children how to safely get around upcoming road construction that will be happening near the community building in the following days.