Friday, October 9, 2026
For a few hours, Rockville Centre children traded their usual Saturday activities for fire hoses, turnout gear and the cab of a fire truck, getting a hands-on glimpse of what it is like to be a firefighter.
Floodlight Rescue Company No. 1 hosted its third annual open house at the Rockville Centre Fire Department headquarters on Oct. 3, welcoming families to the firehouse at 58 North Centre Ave. for an afternoon built around learning, exploration and fun.
The event, held in observance of Fire Prevention Week, allowed children to experience different parts of a firefighter’s job firsthand. They could climb into a fire truck, put on real firefighting gear and enter a smoke tent, where fire personnel taught them how to respond during an emergency, including how to stop, drop and roll.
Outside, children could take control of a real fire hose and aim it at inflatable flames, simulating the experience of extinguishing a fire. Firefighters also conducted demonstrations, including putting out a fire in a small canister.
Junior firefighter Joseph Martino, who assisted children in the smoke tent, said the event gives him an opportunity to share the department’s work with the next generation.
“I look forward to meeting all of the kids and making sure they're having a great day and teach them what we do,” Martino said. “It always puts a smile on my face when we do that.”
Martino, 15, said the lessons could prove useful well beyond the afternoon.
“Someday they can join the fire department or in case they see something happening and they can say ‘I know how to do this now’” and remember the knowledge that firefighters shared with them, he said.
The open house also gave children plenty of opportunities to play. Inside the firehouse were inflatable bowling, blocks and a coloring station, along with tables offering stickers, temporary tattoos, snacks and raffle baskets.
Outside, children played cornhole, knocked down cans and tossed Velcro balls at clown faces, with prizes available for some of the games.
The activities were designed to give children a taste of the many things firefighters do, from responding to emergencies and handling equipment to working as a team and helping others.
For families, it was also an opportunity to meet members of the Rockville Centre Fire Department, explore its equipment and learn more about fire safety in a setting that made the lessons memorable.
