Big Red; Fire & Rescue

If you're aiming for a definitive children's video collection on the subject of firefighting (recall Alphabet Factory: Firetrucks to the Rescue and "So You Want To Be a Firefighter?," both VL-3/94), these two entries offer ...well...more firefighters sliding down poles, aiming fire hoses at whooshing flames, and playing cards during the slack periods. Unlike the others, these feature minimal narration and are aimed at younger children. Big Red is an unthreatening look (in fact, very little actual fire is shown) at life in a fire station, from the special outfits that firefighters wear to the various pieces of firefighting equipment and vehicles they use. Kids visiting the station laugh and play with hoses, watch firefighters clean and maintain their gear, and see firefighting students in training. The material is not really presented sequentially, and Big Red's biggest drawback is its tendency to pad the tape with numerous shots of fire engines careening around street corners, alarms blaring. On the other hand, however, even 2-3 year-olds could watch this and get a general sense of what's going on. For ages 2-6.Fire & Rescue, for ages 4-8, is a more involved production. In addition to the standard stuff about equipment, clothing, and daily life at the fire station, viewers see firefighters in action, both at the site of fires, and in emergency rescue situations (at boating and car accident demonstrations). Not all serious by any means, the tape also has a fun section where firefighters hose the ground while kids play slip `n slide in the mud puddles. Although both programs contain a brief word about fire safety, particularly warning against playing with matches (though unfortunately forgetting to mention lighters), the focus of both productions is introducing kids to the job of firefighting.Both titles are recommended for collections without similar fare, or those needing more programs on the subject. (R. Pitman)