Unified Fire Authority Station 107050

It's never too soon to start teaching your children about fire safety, and the Unified Fire Authority is more than willing to help.

Firefighters regularly host school groups, and appear at neighborhood fairs, frequently showing off their fire trucks and gear.

Another great way to give your toddlers a thrill they'll remember for months - and teach them some important lessons - is by visiting your local fire station. As firefighters are quick to point out, they exist through our tax dollars, and part of their service is to show kids around the station, and maybe help younger children deal with some fears they might have about fire.

Just shaking hands with a firefighter is excitement enough for the average three-year-old, but the firefighters - if they can - will also give free tours, answer questions, and demonstrate equipment to small groups of children, when accompanied by an adult.

A few pointers: Call first! Station tours are offered Monday through Friday 9am-11am, 1pm-3pm, and 6pm-8pm. When scheduling a tour, be prepared to provide the day and time you'd like, the number of people you expect to bring, and the rough age of the attendees. It's best if people have some flexibility with their dates. Of course firefighters can't possibly predict when they'll be called to a fire, so scheduled tours sometimes need to be canceled or abruptly ended. If that happens, call again for rescheduling.

Be sure to tell your kids what firefighters do, and why speed can be so important to the job. Urge them to show respect to these hardworking heroes by using all their best manners, and - here's the most important one - by getting out of the way, quickly and quietly, if that alarm bell starts ringing during your visit!