Firefighter Helps Blind Boy ‘See’ By Having Him Explore His Uniform & Gear

A six-year-old from Plant City, Florida, recently went on a field trip to their town’s Fire Rescue’s Station #3 with fellow homeschool students. There, a firefighter was able to give him a very special experience.

Junie is completely blind, due to septa-optic dysplasia, a rare disorder of early brain and eye development.

While he’s always heard fire trucks and sirens, he’s never been able to see what a firefighter looks like before.

During his field trip, they took a tour of the station and fire trucks, but Junie’s favorite part was his hands-on experience with one of the firemen there.

The firefighter was very patient with Junie, allowing him to feel all over his uniform and gear so that he could “see” what he looks like by touch.

As Junie touched the equipment, the firefighter taught him what it was and how it worked. Junie listened to all of the sounds and was able to ask the fireman any questions he had.

“He said he especially liked learning about the firefighter’s microphone and how he talks, being in the fire truck parking area, and touching the fire truck,” Junie’s mother, Destiny Fiaschetti, told FOX 13. “He loved it! He keeps re-enacting what he learned, pretending he’s asleep and then getting the call from dispatch and jumping up running to the truck and putting the gear on.”

Plant City officials explained that learning about firefighter gear, what the equipment is, and how it works, can help visually impaired children be better prepared for any emergencies. It can also help them feel more comfortable with emergency responders.

Watch the heartwarming moment in the video below: