Leslie McGuire - Big Franks Fire Truck

Text copyright 1996 by Leslie McGuire. Cover art and interior illustrations copyright 1996 by Joe Mathieu. All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Childrens Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Originally published in paperback by Random House Childrens Books, New York, in 1996.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McGuire, Leslie. Big Franks fire truck / by Leslie McGuire ; illustrated by Joe Mathieu. p. cm. (Random House pictureback)

Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-679-85438-8 eBook ISBN 978-0-307-98277-3

1. Fire extinctionJuvenile literature. 2. Fire fightersJuvenile literature. [1. Fire extinction. 2. Fire fighters.] I. Mathieu, Joseph, ill. II. Title. III. Series. TH9148.M33 1995 628.925dc20 94-1402

Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

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Dedicated to Orange County Fire Station #39: Ray Hutchinson, Bob Ouellette, Jim Boggs, Jim Hale, Stu Baker, Peter Beale, Ross Bergantine, Will Vellekoop, Bernie BrawnerL.M

Special thanks to Hartley Field and the Mortlake Fire Department of Brooklyn, ConnJ.M

I ts nine oclock on Monday morning. Big Frank is just getting to work.

Big Frank is a firefighter. He works a twenty-four-hour shift. That means he will be on duty all day and night.

This is the firehouse. This is where Big Frank lives, sleeps, and eats while he is at work.

Big Frank checks in and goes over his schedule. At eleven oclock, he will make a fire inspection at the supermarket. At two oclock, he will visit the elementary school to talk about fire safety.

Big Frank has to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies, too. Who knows what will happen during his shift!

The fire chief asks Big Frank to fuel up the fire trucks. Big Frank heads for the garage.

Big Franks company has three fire trucks. The hook and ladder is used for aerial rescues. The brush breaker has four-wheel drive and can go where there are no roads. Big Frank drives the pumper engine. The pumper holds watera thousand gallons!

After he takes care of the engines, Big Frank checks his gear.

He wears a helmet to protect his head, a fireproof coat and pants to protect his body, and sturdy boots to protect his feet. He has a wooden wedge for propping open doors, and an oxygen pack and mask in case the fires are very smoky.

Big Frank hangs his equipment next to the pumper engine. Now he is ready for anything.

Big Frank sits down with his partner, Mike, for a cup of coffee.

Just then the fire bell rings. At the same time, the lights in front of the station start flashing, and the computer starts printing.

Accident at the intersection of Main Street

and Laurel Road. Car on fire!

Mike, Janet, and Gary jump in the pumper with Big Frank. Big Frank turns on the siren and heads out of the station.

WHOO, WHOOOOOO!

The fire truck roars down Main Street with the siren going full blast. Cars pull over when they hear the noise, and a policeman waves the big engine right through a red light.

The firefighters arrive at the scene of the accident in less than four minutes.

The first thing Big Frank does is check to see if anyone is hurt. He is glad he has his paramedic trainingone lady has a bad cut on her head. Big Frank bandages the cut, and Mike radios for an ambulance.

Meanwhile, Gary and Janet spray the burning car with a special foam made for gasoline fires. The flames go out, and a tow truck comes to haul the wrecked car away.

Big Frank returns to the station with the others and fills out his report. He looks at his watchits nearly eleven oclock! He drives over to the KwikShop to make his inspection.

Big Frank inspects the stores sprinkler system to make sure it is working properly. He checks the emergency doors to see if they will open in case of a fire. He also runs a test of the alarm system. The supermarket has a smoke alarm that rings right in the fire station.

Everything looks okay.