Bring your community to work day
Sept. 20, 2018
You’ve heard of “bring your kid to work” day. Maybe you’ve even had one at your place of business. But there are very few professions that have a day where they invite their entire neighborhood or town to work. That’s essentially what an open-house at a fire or police station is, though: a “bring your community to work” day.
Believe it or not, law enforcement and firefighters job isn’t all emergencies. Prevention is a huge part of their work—and meeting you when you’re not in an emergency situation, such as a fire or traffic crash, is a good place to start. That way they can talk to you about ways to stay safe, and show you what things are like behind the scenes. Police and fire station open houses can happen any time, but are more common in the fall, especially the month of October.
Police open houses highlight for the public the department’s various tactics and duties. At a police open house, you might get a tour of the booking facility and interview rooms. You might get to look at police equipment and even try on tactical gear. And if you have your kids with you, you may be able to get them fingerprinted. If the worst happens and they go missing, having their fingerprints on record may make them easier to find.
Many police and sheriff’s departments offer training for kids and seniors, such as general safety, bicycle safety, and how to respond in an emergency. Attending the open house at your local department is a great way to find out and even sign up for these trainings. To find out if your local police station or sheriff’s office is having an open house soon, check your city or county website.
Fire department open houses are a good opportunity to learn what firefighters do besides fighting fires. At an open house, your local firefighters will likely have games and activities. You can get a tour of the fire house, maybe meet Sparky the Fire Dog, even sit in a fire truck and try on some of the firefighters’ gear. You can also learn more about fire prevention and even find out how to become a firefighter yourself.
Open houses at fire stations often happen around Fire Prevention Week, which is Oct. 7-13 this year. To find out when your local department is having their open house, check their website.
Everyone loves a behind-the-scenes look at other jobs, especially those as exciting as law enforcement and the fire service. So attend your local department’s open house and be the community they bring to work!
