Freddy the Fire Truck Joins Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department

(OnFocus) The Marshfield Fire & Rescue Department has a bright new fire truck at its disposal.

Freddy the Fire Truck is a child-sized educational tool to teach the public about fire safety. Operated by remote control, Freddy can move, speak, listen, play MP3s, sound his siren, wink, blink, and move his eyes.

“Freddy is an educational tool we have looked at for a long time. When I got into the fire service, my former fire department had Pluggie, a robotic fire hydrant that was a hit with the families,” said Fire Chief Scott Owen.

 

A successful fundraising campaign enabled the purchase of Freddy from Robotronics, Inc. in Springfield, Utah. The fire truck will be making appearances at community events throughout the year, including Dairyfest, Picnic in the Park, Children’s Fest, and the Central Wisconsin State Fair.

“Freddy will add another layer we can use to interact with children and families. He’s just the right size for teaching children. He can communicate with them at their eye level and is perfect for hugs and kisses from small friends,” Owen said. “He’s agile enough to maneuver easily in school classrooms and other restricted areas. With his headlights, taillights and flashing warning lights, he is highly visible.”

The fire department is also interested in purchasing Freddy’s counterpart, Andy the Ambulance.

“Andy would be used similarly to Freddy, but more focused on injury prevention. There are times where the two robots would be used together to get the safety messages out such as the fair or Children’s Festival,” said Owen.

Funds have not been raised for Andy yet, but the department is hopeful that the ambulance can be part of the department’s educational efforts sometime in the future.

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