Growing up in a small town, if I wanted to check out the fire department, about all I needed to do was ask. If not otherwise engaged, a fire fighter would gladly provide a tour. I can remember trying on the gear (so big it could have fit three of me), climbing on the fire engine, and getting to slide down the pole in the station from the second floor down to the first.
Living in a Chinese metropolis, getting an on-demand tour of the neighborhood fire station is a bit more daunting, but that doesn’t mean your child cannot get a sense of what goes on in the life of a firefighter; not if the developers at 2BME Studios have anything to do about it. With the release of their first educational app, 2BME Firefighter, the world of the firefighting can now go wherever your iPad or iPhone does.
In this interactive 3D environment, children (and parents) can learn about the fire truck, how to work the pumps and hoses, the alarms in the station, what firefighters wear, and even put out a burning building and rescue a stranded kitty. The app also includes a no-penalty interactive quiz to test your child’s knowledge about what he or she has learned while exploring this fire-safety rich environment. When Reina and I explored this app together, as soon as she had concluded her learning journey, she immediately wanted to do it all over again. When I asked her how she would rate 2BME Firefighter on scale of 1 to 5 stars, she said 20!
Jody Peccia, one of the creators of the app, told me the inspiration for 2BME Firefighter was their son Brendan. She said, “His love for all things firefighter, fire tucks and fire stations made it a no brainer to start there.” This is the first of what will no doubt become a series of instructional and creative apps that explore the work environment of other interesting occupations and I can easily see where Jody and her team can even add components to the existing app. However, Jody is keeping the details of what they will follow-up with a secret for now. When I asked why they are targeting China with this app, Jody replied, “Firefighters are heroes in the eyes of parents and children across the globe, therefore we believe that 2BME Firefighter is a valuable app that bundles both education and fun into one for children from all countries of the world.”
Bottom line, 2BME Firefighter is a sure fire winner with any kid interested in firefighters, and probably kids who aren’t too.
2BME Firefighter is rated for kids 4 and up and is available at iTunes for the iPad, iPod, and iPhone here. I have also been assured that no kittens where harmed in the making of this terrific app.
Photo: iphoneappreview.com
