City Of Katy, TX

The members of the Katy Fire and EMS Association have raised money throughout the years in the course of fundraisers and donations from the public and local businesses to purchase teaching aids and equipment. The Safety Trailer is one such item.

The two story trailer is intended for children. Designed to resemble a functioning home, the trailer has a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and stairs. The trailer also has a functioning phone system, smoke alarms, and smoke machine to simulate a house fire.  Children are taught basic fire prevention, such as turning the handles of pots and pans inward, not laying items on the burners, etc… in the kitchen.

The living room area of the trailer has a phone that when 911 is dialed, a firefighter in the trailer acts as a 911 operator and talks live to the child as a real dispatcher would in a real emergency. Also, a TV and DVD surround sound system are used to teach kids what it is like when a tornado is in the area of their house. Lights flicker, shades shake, and the thunder of a tornado fills the trailer. A recorded live news broadcast airs while the children are viewing television to reinforce what they feel and see.

Next the children walk up the stairs and pass through a door to the bedroom. As a firefighter talks to the children about fire drills in the home and how to exit the house if they encounter smoke, a non toxic smoke is pumped into the bedroom. The children then will use the information they are taught to exit the trailer. When trying to exit, the door they entered through has now been heated so that it is warm to the touch, simulating fire on the other side. The children must exit from a second story, down a ladder.

The safety trailer is a very effective educational tool used to teach children basic fundamentals of fire safety.  To schedule a group training, call 281-391-3500.