Smiles abounded as Assiniboia’s Tot Spot children, their parents and program facilitator Emily Pineda visited the Assiniboia and District Fire Department on March 30 for a hands-on view of volunteer firefighting. The drop-in play program in Assiniboia is close to winding down its activities for the year and this was one of the last major outings.
Nathan McCaslin, a new member of Assiniboia’s volunteer fire department, presented each child with their own red fire chief hat to wear for the day. Then he provided the special visitors with a guided tour. McCaslin showed the fire hall rooms and the equipment. The children learned the ins-and-outs of what the volunteer firefighters do in the community.
The highlight of the day for the children was the fire trucks. Under the watchful eye of McCaslin, Pineda and their parents, the children had a close up look, learning the difference between the town truck with the ladder and the rural truck for grass fires. McCaslin also showed them the firefighters’ uniforms and how they are protected.
The children were also curious about volunteering for the fire department and posed a lot of questions. They learned that they could join the department as a junior firefighter and start training at the age of 16 years old.
This outing was another important session for the children to learn about the emergency services and about their community. Recently, the Tot Spot children have visited the Assiniboia and District Museum and the RCMP Detachment.
The Tot Spot is an indoor play space for parents and their children aged five and under located downstairs at St. George’s Catholic Church. It’s a drop-in program that continues to late April. There is no fee to participating families. The program runs on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and on Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m.
