Polka Dot Firehouse Safety Day: organizer guide

What it is

[Picture: Captain Gus, a firefighter with a white mustache, helps kids in red helmets and yellow coats pull a hose in front of Engine 1 and the polka-dot firehouse. Behind them, another child climbs an obstacle course.]

A ready-to-run event for open houses, schools, libraries, and summer camps. Kids move through 8 fun stations, collect a stamp at each one on their Polka Dot Passport, say the Polka Dot Safety Promise together, and finish with a Fire Safety Star certificate and badge.

Planning notes

• Ages: best for 4 to 10. Younger kids can do stations with a grown-up.
• Time: about 3 to 4 minutes per station, 30 to 40 minutes total for a group of 8 to 10 kids.
• Staffing: one firefighter or volunteer per station, plus one person at the finish table.
• Flow: hand each child a Polka Dot Passport at check-in. Each station stamps (or initials) its box.
• Finish line: when the passport is full, kids say the Polka Dot Safety Promise together and get a Fire Safety Star certificate and badge.
• Water stations: keep pressure low, mark a spectator line, and have towels ready.
• Accessibility: every station has a seated or adapted version. A child can “crawl” by pointing low, roll on a mat with help, or aim the hose from a chair.
• Weather plan: stations 4 through 8 work indoors in a gym or apparatus bay.

The 8 stations

1. Gear Up!

Set up: 2–3 sets of well-fitting, lightweight kid-size costume gear. Keep real gear for a supervised show-and-tell. Two cones about 20 feet apart.

Run it: Kids pull on the boots, coat and helmet, walk to the cone, tag it, and walk back. Cheer every finisher. Check that gear fits and helmets don't block their eyes.

2. Hose Drag

Set up: One short, light section of uncharged (empty) hose (1½- or 1¾-inch), laid flat. A finish line of tape or cones.

Run it: Kids grab the nozzle end and drag the hose to the line. Pairs can work together. Never use a charged (water-filled) line at this station.

3. Knock It Down

Set up: A low-pressure water source: a garden hose with a nozzle or a pressurized-water extinguisher used by a firefighter. Targets: cones, a painted plywood “house” target, or plastic bottles on a bench.

Run it: A firefighter controls the water and stands right behind each child, hands on the nozzle with them. Keep pressure low. Mark a spectator line.

4. Crawl Low

Set up: A play tunnel or a row of tables draped with sheets. Gray streamers or a gray sheet hung above as pretend smoke. A bright “EXIT” sign at the end.

Run it: Kids crawl on hands and knees to the exit sign. Say it with them: Get low and go!

5. Stop, Drop, and Roll

Set up: A gym mat or soft grass.

Run it: Kids stop, drop to the mat, cover their face with their hands, and roll back and forth. Remind them: this is ONLY for clothes on fire. For a burn, cool it with cool water and tell a grown-up.

6. Call 9-1-1

Set up: Two toy phones. Never use real cell phones, even old ones with no service: they can still reach 9-1-1. A firefighter or volunteer plays the dispatcher.

Run it: The “dispatcher” asks: What is the address of your emergency? What is happening? What is your name? Praise kids who know their address, and send home an address card for those still learning it.

7. Firefighters Are Friends

Set up: A firefighter in full turnout gear and SCBA, kneeling at kid level.

Run it: The firefighter puts the gear on slowly while talking, so kids see the person inside. Let kids hear the breathing sound and give a high five.

8. Beep Test

Set up: A smoke alarm (with a working battery) and a step stool for the adult.

Run it: The adult presses the test button. Kids practice the response: get out, go to the meeting place, stay out. Give out smoke alarm door hangers.

Supply checklist

• Kid-size costume gear sets (2–3): coats, helmets, and boots
• Cones (8–10)
• One short, light section of empty hose
• Low-pressure water source and targets
• Towels
• Play tunnel or tables and sheets
• Gray streamers (pretend smoke)
• EXIT sign
• Gym mat
• 2 toy phones (no real cell phones)
• Smoke alarm and step stool
• Smoke alarm door hangers
• My Address cards (one per child)
• First-aid kit
• Station signs (8)
• Polka Dot Passports
• Stamps or markers
• Certificates and badges
• Promise poster
• Pens for names
• Sunscreen and water for staff

Safety first: keep water pressure low, mark a spectator line at water stations, use well-fitting costume gear (keep real gear for a supervised show-and-tell), and have towels and a first-aid kit ready. Every station has an adapted version so every child can take part.

[Picture: Captain Gus stands with a row of smiling kids in red helmets and yellow coats, giving a thumbs-up in front of Engine 1, with confetti in the air.]

The station signs

Each of the eight station signs has the station number and name, what kids do there, and why, with a picture of the activity.

Station 1: Gear Up!

Put on the coat, helmet, and boots, then walk to the cone and back.

Why? Firefighters get dressed fast so they can help fast.

Station 2: Hose Drag

Grab the hose and pull it all the way to the finish line.

Why? Hoses carry water to the fire, and moving them takes teamwork.

Station 3: Knock It Down

Aim the water at the target and knock it down!

Why? Firefighters use water to cool a fire.

Station 4: Crawl Low

Get low and go! Crawl through the tunnel to the exit.

Why? Smoke rises, so the air down low, near the floor, is usually cleaner.

Station 5: Stop, Drop, and Roll

Stop! Drop! Cover your face! Roll, roll, roll!

Why? If your clothes ever catch fire, stop, drop, and roll until the fire is out.

Station 6: Call 9-1-1

Practice calling for help. Tell the dispatcher your address and your name.

Why? Knowing your address helps firefighters find you fast. Call 9-1-1 from outside, after you get out.

Station 7: Firefighters Are Friends

Meet a firefighter in full gear. Give a high five!

Why? In a fire, a firefighter in a mask is coming to help. Don't hide. Go to them.

Station 8: Beep Test

Listen for the smoke alarm. When you hear it, get out and stay out!

Why? A smoke alarm gives you time to get out. Test alarms every month.

The Polka Dot Safety Promise

From the Safety Promise poster, for the finish line. Say it together:

• I promise to test my smoke alarms with a grown-up.
• I promise to know two ways out of every room.
• I promise to get low and go under smoke.
• I promise to get out and stay out.
• I promise to tell a grown-up if I find matches or lighters.
• I promise to be brave, be kind, and help others.