Before the Sirens

A fire truck feels different when it isn’t an emergency.

There’s time to look at how big it is. To climb inside. To see the equipment. To meet the person behind the uniform.

And, perhaps most importantly, to experience the lights and sounds without everything else that comes with needing them.

That’s part of what makes Heartwood School’s annual Touch a Truck event about much more than really cool vehicles.

Recently, local fire, police and EMS teams brought emergency vehicles to Heartwood, giving students an opportunity to explore them up close in a familiar and supportive environment.

Students could see the inside of an ambulance, check out a fire truck and get a closer look at a law enforcement vehicle. They interacted with equipment, experienced some of the sights and sounds associated with emergency response and spent time with the first responders who use those tools every day.

For Heartwood students, that hands-on approach matters.

Something that might otherwise first be encountered during a stressful or unfamiliar situation can instead be introduced with time, support and people they know nearby.

A siren becomes a sound they’ve heard before.

An ambulance becomes a place they’ve already seen inside.

A uniform comes with a face.

And a first responder becomes someone they’ve already had the opportunity to meet.

The experience also gives first responders an opportunity to connect with students outside of an emergency—learning alongside them and building familiarity before that relationship might ever be needed in a different setting.

It’s a simple idea with a potentially meaningful impact: make the unfamiliar a little more familiar.

Touch a Truck certainly still delivers the fun. There are big vehicles, flashing lights, interesting equipment and plenty to explore.

But underneath all of that is something quieter.

Students get to experience it first when nothing is wrong.