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Midvale boy rides a fire truck to school after winning UFA competition

Posted at 6:15 PM, Dec 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-06 20:15:02-05

MIDVALE, Utah — It's not usually a good thing when firefighters knock at your door, but this is the exception. James Larson got a special lift to school Thursday morning all because he knew his address.

“I’m so happy I won,” James said.

Andrew Ridd is one of the United Fire Authority firefighters who picked him up.

“About a year or so ago, we had a child who found their mother on the floor. Did a great thing, called 911. Then the dispatcher asked okay, where are you? This kid didn't know their address,” Ridd said.

After that mother passed away, UFA launched a campaign with local school districts to try and prevent the same scenario from happening again.

“We teach kids if there's a problem, if somebody needs help, call 911. We've got kids who are doing that and then we ask where's the emergency and they don't know where they are,” Ridd said.

The reward is a one-on-one, hands on experience with all the tools of the trade and a ride in the big red truck. A once in a lifetime experience of rolling into school in front of all your friends, like a real hero.

“I had never done it before and it was so awesome,” James said.