I was driving home one late afternoon when I saw a fire truck parked in our neighborhood. It didn't alarm me, because there was a small child climbing up the ladder behind the truck. Two elderly people stood below, arms outstretched, to protect the toddler.

"What a naughty child," I thought.

But wait wasn't that my very own 2-year-old?

Recently, my son has developed a new hobby. He loves shouting: "Fire (Zhao huo la)!" and then waving his right arm at an imaginary target while calling out: "Ah Ge puts out the fire (Ah Ge mie huo la)!"

The episode of the Disney cartoon in which Mickey, Donald and Goofy put out a fire has become my son's favorite. Recently, he has been drawn to a domestic animation about a group of children who help firefighters. I thought the series was too complicated for him, but it seems my son has learned more than I expected.

Every night, he must hold a small fire truck model before going to sleep. One morning, he woke up asking for two fire trucks, but we only had one. My father suggested: "Ah Ge is the firemen's captain. I'll get you a special car to ride in." The little red racecar did the trick, and Ah Ge was quite happy with his promotion.

Firefighters in China have yet to gain the same kind of esteem they wield in the United States. But I find the masculine image a perfect idol for my boy, so I thought: Why not take him to meet these heroes in person?

When I finally found the fire station near our neighborhood, a young fireman was learning to drive a red truck, with an officer sitting beside him. Holding my boy high, I approached a guard.

"Excuse me, my son loves firefighters. Could we stay here watching you?"

The young man looked surprised, but when I told him more about my son's fascination, he seemed quite happy. He even ran to the officer and had a little discussion. To our surprise, he announced: "I'll show you around."

The door rolled up to reveal a bright red truck. "I drive this truck," our guide said with a big smile. Behind it was a car. Much to the delight of my son and father, that vehicle was reserved for the captain.

A side door opened and we found ourselves in an even bigger hall. "This is our biggest fire truck, a Mercedes Benz imported from Germany!" According to my untrained eyes though, all eight fire engines have enjoyed utmost care.

Pointing at the ceiling more than 10 meters above us, our guide said: "We live up there and slide down the tube when the alarm rings."

Along the wall were a line of neatly folded uniforms, with a helmet atop each set. My father put one of the helmets on my son's head, and the fireman turned on the torchlight. The helmet was heavy, but the little fellow strived to stand straight.

As we waved goodbye, my son, who had up till now remained silent, raised his right hand to the ear and cried out: "Salute (Jing li)!"

(China Daily 04/19/2007 page20)