This weekend, Nash Reid-Bancroft had the opportunity to do something pretty unique. The 10-year-old got to learn the ins and outs of being a firefighter from the professionals.
“We just wanted to give Nash a bit of a thank you. He’s known as our littlest hero now,” said Jeff Brown, Firefighter.
Nash took it upon himself to shovel out the hydrants in his Bible Hill neighbourhood. When his mom put photos of his good deed on Facebook, they went viral and caught the attention of the Halifax Fire Service.
The crew at Station 2 in Halifax invited Nash and his mother to come to the city and spend the day at the station with them.
“A group of us saw it and wanted to do something nice for him, make it special, make it something he will remember,” said Brown. “He earned it.”
Nash got to learn the history of the service and what it takes to become a firefighter. His visit also allowed him to eat brunch with the crew, who made him feel right at home.
Of course, Nash also got to tackle something most other kids would be pretty jealous of: the fireman’s pole.
“When I was here I got to slide down a fireman’s pole and I got to see a fireman getting dressed into their fireman suits,” said an excited Nash.
The grade 5 student also got to get a firsthand look inside a fire trucks at the station. “It’s kind of neat,” Nash said of the truck. “It’s not that big cause you know how fire truck are huge? It’s not that big for people to walk cause they told me that fire trucks are like big toolboxes, so they just have a bunch of tools.”
For years, firefighters have been trying to get residents to do exactly what Nash did. They want to get the message out about the importance of clearing hydrants free of snow and ice.
Last winter was the worst they’ve seen in two decades and many firefighters spend their spare time clearing hydrants in case of an emergency. “It makes the difference between a small fire and a huge fire,” said Brown. “When we show up, if we have to spend two, three minutes digging, depending on how iced up they are, it really changes the outcome of the fire.”
Firefighters are hoping other Nova Scotians can take a cue from Nash and adopt a hydrant in their neighbourhood.
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