Yesterday, as Moose and I were leaving his school, a giant (and pointy!) chunk of ice slid off the roof by the school’s entrance, narrowly missing Moose. He was terrified, and I have to admit, it took a while for my heart to stop pounding. Based on the size and sharpness of the ice, and the way it hit the ground, I’m pretty sure if it had hit him, we’d have had to visit the E.R.

Today, when we got to the school, there was a fire truck parked out front. I was a little concerned about that, but as it didn’t appear that children were being evacuated, we went on in. The front entrance was barricaded from where the ice had been falling yesterday, and it quickly became obvious that the reason the ladder truck was there was for ice removal purposes.

So, Moose and I stood between the double doors, while we waited for his teacher, and watched. He was very excited to see them put the ladder up, and then watch one of the firemen climb the ladder, pick in hand, and start knocking down all the ice. As the ice fell, Moose provided sound effects, similar to what the ice had sounded like when it almost hit him yesterday.

One of the firemen came in, maybe to warm up, and talked with Moose a little bit about what they were doing. I think that made Moose’s day. The whole process lasted only about seven minutes, but it was fascinating for a little boy (and his mommy!) to watch, and it made me further appreciate the many ways fire fighters help keep our community safe. Sure, fighting fires is an obvious (and very appreciated!) way, but simple things like making sure a school’s roof is safe for children to walk under are not as apparent, and not nearly as glamorous, but appreciated by the community just the same!