Is it ok to for the fire service, police and army to be involved with school and family fun days?

[tigermoth]

If you go to a school fair or a family fun day (ie an event specifically for children and families) do you think it's ok for emergency organisations like the fire, police and army to have a presence?

I say this because the many brave people who are employed by these organisations risk death in the course of their daily work.

Obviously bringing down a fire engine for children to climb into is not the same as a heavy recruitment drive, but all the same, recruitment has to be one reason why they are there. If asked, the firemen and women are going to talk positively about their work (I would imagine)and explain how to join up. Same for the army or for the police.

I have no set views on this, btw.

I think it is fine.

Yes - its a good way to get other messages across to e.g fire safety, fire alarms, etc

too obviously

We've had the fire and police, and for whatever reason the children love it (the women like the firemen too...can't work out why).

It's more like good PR - and it keeps the children occupied whilst parents spend more money.

Never seen it as an issue, tbh, but then I'm biased.

From a Fire Service POV I would say it's much less about recruitment (the Fire Service certainly don't need to drum up recruits) but more about raising awareness about safety and respect for the work they do. Respect probably isn't the right word; I mean avoiding situations where children find it fun to make hoax calls, set fires just to get the engine to turn up etc. And about showing positive role models too.

No problem with it here, personally

It's possible to be, for example,both be against the occupation of Iraq/unhappy about Britain's acts of colonial aggression in the past, and yet also be very appreciative of the hard and dangerous work done by these men and women, as you say.

And as saggars points out, contact with professionals who have a real understanding of mortal peril can be a good learning experience for children in terms of safety awareness etc

It's also good for children in certain areas to see a police officer in a non-antagonistic role.

Some children only see the police in a bad light - they're the ones who took mum/dad/big brother/cousin away, or that's all they hear within their homes.

A tiny bit of positive interaction can't go amiss.

Its fine!!!
The kids love it, its generally free, and they are part of the community.

In my experience, they don't "recruit"

I feel uncomfortable with the army at family days like this
I don't see 'soldiers' and 'children's event' going well together myself

Absolutely agree with ureb re seeing the Police in a positive light.

I have no objection to the emergency services or the armed forces attending a family event.

interesting - thanks.

It is just something that occurred to me and I wondered what people's veiwpoints are. I don't have any axe to grind or point to make

Can you logically say it's ok for the fire service and police, but not ok for the army to be present?

I think that families will generally have more contact/need to use the Emergency Services than the Armed Forces and therefore it makes sense to have them at this sort of 'community event'. TBH I've never seen the Armed Forces at a school/church fair and when I have seen them at Fun/Open Day type events they have been there in more of a recruitment role.

They were at the fun day on my estate yesterday. DD loved going in the fire engine and the police boat.
There was a naval presence too but it's to be expected as we live on a navy estate. I have no problem with it

No problem at all with the emergency services, their presence useful and fun for the children...I do wonder what it's like for the oficers though, don't they get fed up?
However, armed forces a completely different matter- my blood runs cold when I see them with their tanks and little boys climbing all over them, like there aren't child soldiers in the world and like our armed forces have never killed a civilian. I'm not an out and out pacifist, but children should never be given the idea that armed conflict is fun. Or morally neutral. Or that 'our' services are necessarily fighting for just causes.

I think it's ok for both the emergency services and the armed forces to attend these events and it's a great way to educate kids about the work they do.

The armed forces don't only participate in armed conflict - don't they also help out in emergency situations like the severe flooding we had last summer and other natural disasters?

i love it when they are there

[pervy] last sumer i made the girls go on the fire engine so i could have a good look lol.

I encouraged DD to have 2 goes on the fire engine yesterday Misdee and on the assult course too [totalperve]

"can you logically say it's ok for the fire service and police, but not ok for the army to be present"

I can, yes.

"can you logically say it's ok for the fire service and police, but not ok for the army to be present"

I can, yes

So does that mean it's ok for the Navy and RAF to join in then

Saltire, you are not taking this discussion seriously, tut tut

You can't deny or wish away the existence of armed forces so I think it's ok for them to be present at a family event. It could be a talking point if nothing else.

They (the army esp) don't just kill, they protect and defend too.

RAF were always present at primary school events as school was inside the perimeter fence of an RAF station and 98% of kids at school had dads in RAF.

Whole school got put into a hercules transporter plane one day and taken for a run down the runway and back. Great fun.

School was never short of tents, bbq equipment, parachutes for playing with.

We were one of the few families with no RAF connection, but my two LOs still have hugely fond memories of primary days.