Family Night at the Academy

Last night was the night where the recruits were able to bring their families to the academy and show them what they have been doing the past 12 weeks. I wish we could have brought everybody because it was so neat to see!
Slade riding in the fire truck. We were afraid that when we put him in there, he wouldn't want to come out. And, he didn't! "I'm fireman!"

This picture was taken at home earlier but I thought it was too funny to leave out. He found this beetle outside and brought it in the house. He gave it a ride on his fire truck, flicked it across the floor a few times, put it in a tupperware bowl and filled it with fish crackers and all the meanwhile kept asking, "you okay bug?" Then he said, "mom! beetle dead!" and he put it back outside. Does this kid need a dog or what?!? At this moment, Slade saw this picture and is now outside calling, "Beeeetle! Are you herrre? Can you hear meeee? Beeeetlllle!! Where arrre youuuu??"

Daisy and I in the fire truck going for a ride around the parking lot. The lights and sirens were on and everything! Daisy really liked the ride, so we went twice. She kept waving to people outside and going, "ooohhhhh!!!" I've been trying to teach her how to make the siren noise, but that's all I get.

Daisy sitting on a golf cart in the locker room.
Skylar took us up in the burn tower and they had "fake" smoke going to get the affect. This is a replica of a bedroom that has been burned. They also continue to use it for training purposes, but I thought it was pretty eerie.
They had a hose game set up for this kids and Slade couldn't get enough of it! You are supposed to squirt water into holes, and once the tank fills up, it will spray the people on the side that didn't get water into the tank fast enough. Slade won!!

Slade driving the fire truck.

Family picture! Skylar has is turn-outs on because he just fought a car fire!
They demonstrated a car fire and Skylar is the middle firefighter. He had a pick like tool to open the trunk and once he did, the flame was all over him! I of course freaked out with everyone else, but afterwards he said that that is expected and he can't feel the flames, hence the fire resistant turn-outs.
They also demonstrated a propane tank fire. Skylar isn't in this one, but the picture turned out pretty neat.
This is also of the propane fire. The hose bursted unexpectedly and was squirting water all over the firefighters. It was pretty funny because Skylar said that hose has held up for 12 weeks and of course it had to burst while everyone was watching! (They use retired equipment for training)

Skylar suited up waiting for his turn to demonstrate the car fire. I am so proud of him! He has been trying for this job for the past four years and the past 12 weeks have been so stressful for him. He got through it and graduates on Saturday!! He will officially be a Tempe Firefighter and will get to be on a truck in a couple weeks. He worked so hard for this and it was a long road for all of us! Congratulations Skylar!!