COCHRANE— Offering curious minds a peek behind the scenes, Cochrane Fire Station 151 has created a new interactive 360-degree virtual tour of the Protective Services Centre.
The program officially launched on Thursday (May 14), said Cochrane Fire Services inspector Jeff Avery.
“We’re trying to let people know that we're still there even though you might not see us as much as you used to,” Avery said. “We’re still there for everybody 24 hours a day seven days a week.”
The virtual tour combines video, photos and text to take visitors inside each unique section of the hall, and check out the fire trucks, crew equipment and gear. During the self-guided tour, users can click to enter or exit rooms and equipment. The cursor can be used to change viewpoints and angles.
Avery said before the introduction of COVID-19 public health measures, people were able to request a tour of the facility, meet the firefighters and learn about fire prevention and fire safety.
During the pandemic that opportunity is no longer available because the fire station has been closed to everyone but on-duty firefighters.
Last year the fire hall saw almost 5,000 people from across the community visit the fire hall, he said.
“We just had piles of groups coming in,” Avery said. “Our public education has really taken off so it was disheartening when everything got shut down.”
The virtual tour was created as a way to ensure public education could take place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Avery said because it was important for firefighters to be active in the community.
Inspector Jay Wieliczko came up with the idea to host a virtual tour of the fire hall, Avery said, explaining that he took all the photos and brought the project together.
“Kids that want to come to the fire hall and can’t a least their parents have the option to show them some pictures and show them what we do and they can see some firefighters dressed up,” Avery exclaimed. “When you click on a couple of the trucks the sirens go off and an actual call comes in.”
Wieliczko and the team were able to create an immersive experience that includes facts about special equipment at the station paired with staff dressed up in unique gear they would wear for different calls.
Avery said he hopes people get a chance to see what firefighters do and give kids stuck at home a fun and educational activity to participate in.
“We’re hoping that this keeps kids interested in what we do,” Avery said. He added that could be a great option for schools that are looking to do a tour of the facility. “It’s opened up different levels of instruction.”
The virtual tour ties into the important aspect of teaching people to be fire smart, Avery said explaining that the tour links to the Cochrane Fire public education website that gives tips on being fire safe.
It is always a great and educational experience to see fire trucks and show a typical day for firefighters, he said, adding that the message of being fire smart and being prepared for emergencies is just as important.
“It’s all those essentials I try to teach to the kids when they come to the hall,” Avery said.
Avery added that people are encouraged to share ideas and feedback on the project to help enhance the experience.
To take the virtual tour visit cochrane.ca/FirePrevention.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Avery said. “This is an opportunity to really open this up to a whole new level— It’s going to get better, better and better.”
