Children across the nation will learn about the forces of gravity and the danger posed by heights – thanks to the contribution of firefighters from Ladywood Fire Station.
Members of Red Watch from the station were filmed last week (2 March) helping the Teacher’s TV Channel produce a science programme helping to explain how gravity works.
Watch Commander Jason Holt took part in the programme designed to reveal how parachutes work to halt falls. This involved lighthearted experiments designed to entertain and educate children aged between five and 11 years.
The experiment involved dropping eggs from the watch tower at Ladywood Fire Station. To demonstrate how parachutes work to break the force of gravity, a handkerchief, a plastic carrier bag and a bin liner were attached to each of the eggs – with the bin liner eventually helping the egg to come to a safe landing.
Jason said: “This was a fun way to tell young children about the potentially deadly dangers posed by falls from height. Being a firefighter isn’t just about fighting fires – we have to go out and prevent bad things happening to people.
“Hopefully, by participating in this programme with Teacher’s TV, we’ll help educate children across the country, not just about science, but also to have a head for the dangers posed by heights. But we have to do this in a fun way to get the message across to the young people.”
Issued by West Midlands Fire Service’s Media Relations Office.
Regular updates on incident and other WMFS activities can be found on the media voicebank on 0871 550 0056.
