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New firefighter themed playground to be built in Greenwood

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — It’s often a child’s dream to become a firefighter when they grow up, but it’s tough to get them actual hands-on experience with fire engines.

So Greenwood Fire Chief James Sipes came up with a solution.

He wants to build a firefighter themed play pocket for the kids in Greenwood.

A play pocket is a small playground with an educational theme that’s often near a trail.

The city already has a few.

This one will be built right next to the fire department headquarters.

When the weather is warmer, Lora Shepherd takes her son to the current play pockets.

“We do come over here to these playgrounds,” she said.

She’s excited to hear about the pending play pocket at the fire department.

“That’ll be great for the kids and give them a new place to go,” she said.

“I think it’s the first one I’ve heard of anywhere around,” Sipes said.

Chief Sipes came up with the idea after seeing a fire truck toy at a different local playground.

“We have a lot of school kids that come through the fire department and it’ll give an opportunity at the end of the tour for them to come out and play the role,” he said.

It will be two stories high, feature two slides, and be customized for the department.

“It’s actually going to be designed just like our fire engines,” Sipes said, “Same layout, same colors, same graphics, they’ll feel like they’re actually playing the role of a Greenwood firefighter.”

The total cost will be about $100,000.

“We partnered with Greenwood Rotary who is contributing $20,000, Greenwood Parks is $30,000, and the fire department is $50,000 dollars to meet the $100,000 obligation,” Sipes said.

The fire department’s portion will actually come from the Greenwood Fire Foundation.

“The Greenwood Fire Department has a support group called the Greenwood Fire Foundation which is a “501c3″ that supports fire safety in the community and this is a great project for them,” Sipes said.

Chief Sipes sees this project as a chance to inspire the next generation of Greenwood firefighters.

Lora Shepherd is happy about a new, fun way for her son to learn about being a firefighter.

“I think it’s a cool thing for kids and it gives them something to inspire and look up to,” she said.

The foundation takes donations for projects like this play pocket.

To donate, visit www.greenwoodfirefoundation.org or you can mail a check to the Greenwood Fire Department, just make sure it’s made out to Greenwood Fire Foundation.