If your kids look up to our amazing firefighters, offer them a unique perspective on the work: Tour the bright red and white fireboat Leschi, named after the Chief of the Nisqually Tribe.
The Leschi, built in 2007, is a 108-foot fireboat that can shoot 22,000 gallons of water per minute and travel at 14 knots. It has a 55-foot crane with a telescoping fire line and ladder, an infrared camera and a medical treatment center. How's that for cool?
Parents can arrange to tour Leschi, which is docked on Elliott Bay, with children 9 and older (sometimes, families get to tour the Chief Seattle fireboat when it's in from Fisherman's Terminal). Get a close-up look at the boat and firefighting equipment and talk with firefighters about their jobs. See fire gear demonstrations and leave with some good safety tips, too.
A limited number of fireboat tours are available. Schedule your tour at least two weeks in advance by calling the Seattle Fire Department at 206-386-1400. Learn more at www.seattle.gov/fire/deptInfo/stationTours.htm.
Afterward, enjoy the Seattle waterfront and all of the fun it has to offer families.
