Ottawa firefighter provides child ASL truck tour at Manotick station

A tour of the south Ottawa fire station holds special meaning for Sam Balmadani.  The six-year-old loves being around fire trucks, but expressing that interest can sometimes be difficult.

Balmadani lives with an auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder, he is hard of hearing and his ability with speech is also affected.

On Wednesday, he had a chance to tour Station 94 in Manotick. This experience would not be possible if it was not for one firefighter who is fluent in American Sign Language.

"My mom growing up was hard of hearing so I’ve been signing from a young age," said Angus McDougall a volunteer firefighter with Ottawa Fire Services. "I knew a lot of the basics you would need to know to get by."

It was at the Taste of Manotick Festival where McDougall first met Balmadani, as firefighters invited kids to explore a fire truck. It was there, Balmadani was able to learn about firefighting and the fire trucks first hand.

"It became a three-hour truck tour at that point and Sam got to see everything on that truck. It made Sam's day," said McDougall. 

"It was a nice surprise to have access for Sam," said O’Brien. 

That initial meeting, making the trip to the Ottawa fire station even more memorable. Balmadani’s favourite part - climbing up the truck’s ladder with his new friends at Station 94.

"As a mother to a child who is deaf and hard of hearing I appreciate people who make that effort to learn sign language to get down on his level and communicate with him in the way he needs as opposed to trying to force him to communicate in the way they need," she said.