2BME Firefighter Review

2BME Firefighter is a universal educational app that teaches fire safety, allowing children to role play as a fire fighter, as well as including a classroom setting where kids can be quizzed on what they have learned.

My son has been enjoying this app a lot recently, as here, kids can pretend to be fire fighters, learning in more details about this occupation that I have seen in other apps.

I really like how all the hot spots are marked with different icons used to clue in players on how to interact. Be it a red circle to tap or a blue arrow to swipe, this app is very hands-on.

I also appreciate how not just basic fire fighting is touched upon here but also allows children to visit the command center and operate the control panel as calls come in from the wire. Fire safety is also taught, including such information about what to do if one’s clothing catches on fire, not touching matches or lighters, as well as preparing an escape route and meeting place.

My son especially loves to help the fireman slide down the pole and get him dressed as well as to explore the equipment on the truck and pretend to drive to emergencies.

I am impressed with how much information is provided, including advanced vocabulary, such as “turnout coat,” “air pack,” or “hydraulic rescue tool, with cutter and spreader."

Three scenes can be selected individually or played in sequence and include a cat rescue at the park, a tour of the firehouse and an emergency call to put out a fire which includes a fun mini-game where one helps save a burning building.

A separate section is available, quizzing children on what they have learned.

We both really like how interactions more detailed to fire fighting and not commonly found in apps such as this, like how connecting the hose to the hydrant and then manipulating gears and levers to control the amount of water released through the fire hose are demonstrated.

It would be nice that if in a future update, a menu could be included as my son does ask for help finding his favorite moments to interact with.

I am glad that this is a universal app, as we have been enjoying this app on both our iPad as well as iPhone, but I do notice that the resolution could be a little bit better on the iPad and the narration sounds a little halted and computery, but my son has not complained about these adult concerns, as he enjoys the computer-generated 3D images that give this app a sense of dimension.

As one can expect, there are a lot of bells and alarms here and because of this, this app can get pretty noisy. It is nice, however, that kids are in control of these sound effects, allowing kids with sensitive ears to hear these sounds only momentarily, if at all.

It is also very nice that an interactive tutorial explains the tapping, swiping and dragging found within - good for children new to applications and information that will serve them well in working with other apps in the future.

2BME Firefighter is a great choice of apps for children interested in fireman-related activities or for parents who want to teach fire safety in a way that will be fun and engaging, as there is certainly a lot to interact with, touch and move in ways that are thoughtful and necessary to the task at hand.

I am not sure if this is part of a larger series of apps, but we would love to see more occupations explored in this manner.

This is an app my son keeps coming back to, and I really like the information he is learning. I would love if dialing 911 were also taught as well - something to think about for a future update.