FDNY Store and Fire Safety Learning Center – LOST GEM
Education & Community
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Fire Stations
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Non-Profit Organizations
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Schools
LOST GEMS
Retail & Products
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Gift Shops
FDNY Store and Fire Safety Learning Center – LOST GEM
34 West 51st StreetNew York, NY 10019
I expect to make unusual finds on each street, but every so often even I am totally caught off guard by what I discover. The FDNY Store was an example of “who knew?” I, initially, thought that I was walking into a New York Fire Department gift shop, but quickly realized that the FDNY’s only retail location has another, more important purpose – teaching fire safety to groups of students and tourists alike. I was greeted upon entering by a real fire truck and a very kind, former firefighter who offered to give me “the tour.” I loved the concept that kids (and adults) could climb aboard the truck, and that there was a shop selling interesting fire-related items with an emphasis on gifts for little ones obsessed with fire engines – but then I stepped into the “fire zone.” Inside this space, there are exhibits for children to participate in, a wall that turns hot (simulating a fire scene), equipment for them to try on, and a hallway to walk through filled with smoke. What an exceptional experience for anyone to engage in – to learn about the dangers of fire, how best to avoid them and, in the end, how to escape a burning building.
