Visit to St. Albans Community Fire Station

Last weekend I somehow ended up promising my Fireman Sam obsessed two year old that we'd go to the fire station - and weren't left disappointed.

Our first attempt at seeing real fire engines was thwarted because I went to the only station I knew of, in the section of Harpenden Road that slices through Bernherds Heath, only to find that it's been closed.

Undeterred, we set off for Redbourn where, at the top of the High Street, there's a firestation. The station, however, isn't continually staffed and none of the station doors were open so we couldn't even get a small glimpse inside.

Disappointed, we left it for the next day when we popped in to the large, modern "community station" on London Road. A few of the doors were open so we got out of the car and walked up a bit closer. Within a minute or two, a fireman called Wally popped out and asked if we'd like to be shown around. This gave our son, and us, the opportunity to get up close to the fire engines and to see some of the special firefighting equipment. To top it all off, our son was given some baloons and a fire safety book. A big thanks to Wally - our kid has been talking about his visit to the fire station non-stop all week.

Whilst we were told that the station's "community" status means they welcome visitors, I can imagine they wouldn't be too pleased if everyone and their kids just turned up like we did. For information about the station, or to find out how you can visit, have a look at their page on Herts Direct: http://www.hertsdirect.org/yrccouncil/hcc/fire/fireandrescuework/frstns4s/560926

The Fireman's Charity, which we've written about here before, helps members of the fire community. If you have a nice visit to the station, or want to thank a Fireman who has helped you, it's a good place to start.