Safety of children must be the top priority when conducting tours of fire stations, apparatus and equipment. The following guidelines should always be followed to help prevent injury or serious accident:

Activity	Hazards	Preventive Measures
Supervision	Children could fall or drop heavy items resulting in injury to self or others.	ü Do not permit children to touch equipment open cabinets or climb on apparatus unassisted. ü Ask teachers and/or other adults to assist. ü Explain "rules" (no touching, climbing etc.) to children & adults.
Helmets	Helmets are heavy. Especially for children. Very serious spine injuries can result if a child turns his/her head or if the helmet falls down the child's back. Several different serious injuries have been reported around the county.	ü Never allow a child to don a firefighting helmet of any type. ü This restriction is NOT limited to leather New Yorker helmets. Injuries have occurred with other helmets which many consider "light weight."
Equipment	Heavy objects could put strain on back of small children. A dropped item could fall on a foot or toe. Heavy objects passed or carried overhead could fall if dropped resulting in serious injury.	ü Do not permit children to hold heavy items (nozzles etc.) themselves. Always support the weight. ü Do not pass heavy objects (airpacks, tools, etc.) over children. Always walk around them. ü Never swing objects. (SCBA, axe etc.)
Apparatus	Children can slip and fall or intentionally jump. Serious injury could result.	ü Children should always be assisted when getting on or off apparatus. ü Children should be physically guarded to eliminate the possibility of falling.
Sirens	Sirens are very loud and could damage a child's hearing or frighten them. Many children are very sensitive to sounds.	ü Refrain from sounding a siren. ü If you do sound a siren, try to limit loudness and duration. Warn everyone ahead of time and have everyone cover their ears. Keep good distance and do not allow anyone in direct line of the siren (i.e. front of apparatus). Consider echo potential of the location.
Cabinets	Tools or other equipment may have shifted and could fall when a cabinet is opened. The item could strike a child resulting in an injury. When removing a tool or piece of equipment, another item may fall out and strike a child resulting in an injury.	ü Open cabinets carefully with children standing back and clear. Or better yet, before you begin the tour. ü Maintain a clear space between children and apparatus when removing items from a cabinet.