0:00:03 > 0:00:07# There are lots of things all around us
0:00:07 > 0:00:10# Exciting things that surround us
0:00:10 > 0:00:13- # But how does it work?- Do you know?
0:00:13 > 0:00:17- # How is it made?- Do you know?
0:00:17 > 0:00:20# Things that go up Things that go down
0:00:20 > 0:00:23# Things that go pop Things that go round
0:00:23 > 0:00:27# With special cameras to show you inside
0:00:27 > 0:00:30# It's going to be a big surprise
0:00:30 > 0:00:33- # But how does it work?- Do you know?
0:00:33 > 0:00:37- # How is it made?- Do you know?
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- # Do you know?- Let's find out!- #
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Hello, I'm Maddie, and today I'm at a fire station.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Sometimes accidents happen which could cause
0:00:49 > 0:00:51a building to catch fire. If this happens,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55someone will call the fire brigade who will rush to the fire,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59put out the flames and make sure things are safe for everyone.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04But do you know how firefighters put out a fire?
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Let's find out.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16This is a special fire tower and it's used by firefighters
0:01:16 > 0:01:18so they can practice putting out flames.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Now, you should never play with fire. It can be very dangerous.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26But can you see something coming out of the middle?
0:01:26 > 0:01:29That is smoke and it's been put there especially so the
0:01:29 > 0:01:33firefighters can practice putting it out, as if it were a real fire.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36But how do you think they're going to do it?
0:01:38 > 0:01:42That's right, they're going to pour water on it.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Trouble is, it's a really long way away.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50So, we need to find a way to get the water up there to put the fire out.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53SIRENS BLARE
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Whoa!
0:01:55 > 0:02:00Those sirens are the sound of fire engines on their way.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Firefighters do these training exercises all the time.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08So, how do you think the firemen are going to put the fire?
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Let's watch and see.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15They're pulling out a long ladder and that will mean they can
0:02:15 > 0:02:20get right up to the top where we can see the smoke on the fire tower.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24This fireman has a giant hose and just look how much water is
0:02:24 > 0:02:27coming out of the end of that.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30The water is coming out so fast and is
0:02:30 > 0:02:34so powerful that it's able to reach all the way up to the top,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37where the smoke's coming out of the fire tower.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Listen to the sound of the water.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42All of that water spraying up into the smoke.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44WATER HISSES
0:02:44 > 0:02:48The practice has ended and the firefighters can now turn the
0:02:48 > 0:02:52water off. But do you know how a fire hose works?
0:02:54 > 0:02:56SIREN BLARES
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Inside the fire engine is a big tank of water.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03At the back of the fire engine there are some levers and switches.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05This is called the pump panel.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09This controls how much water will flow out of the engine to be
0:03:09 > 0:03:10used on the fire.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Next to this is a large pump and a wheel called a rotor.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19When the lever is pulled, the rotor spins around very fast.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23The water flows into the spinning rotor which creates something
0:03:23 > 0:03:27called water pressure, which pushes the water out of the hose
0:03:27 > 0:03:31really fast and really far, which puts out the fire.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Isn't that interesting?
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Let's go to the back of the fire engine to see all of that happening.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41And, the firefighters have given me special permission
0:03:41 > 0:03:42to use the fire hose.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45And remember, you should never try this yourself.
0:03:45 > 0:03:51I can only give it a go cos I'm with specially trained firefighters.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55To make sure I'm safe I need some protective clothing.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Ta-dah!
0:04:01 > 0:04:06All of the hoses are kept rolled up neatly in the side of the engine.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07Here they go.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09And, wow, they are really heavy.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16When they're needed, the hoses are unwound and then they're
0:04:16 > 0:04:19attached to the back of the fire engine.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25The end of the hose is attached to this metal tap.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29It's called a valve and the valve is connected to the water tank
0:04:29 > 0:04:33inside the engine and this, the pump.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37This here is the pump panel, and this is where the firefighters can
0:04:37 > 0:04:40control the water and turn it on and off.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Clever, isn't it?
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Ohh!
0:04:48 > 0:04:54That hose is 25 metres long. That's the same length as a swimming pool.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I've got my special little camera with me.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03We can attach it to the end of the fire hose
0:05:03 > 0:05:07so we can see just how fast the water shoots out the end.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11And, if you look, there's some more smoke coming out the fire tower.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16That can only mean the firefighters are about to start another practice.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17SIREN BLARES
0:05:17 > 0:05:21- Go.- And this time it's my turn to have a go at using the fire hose.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Get that water on, yeah?
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Whoa-ha-ha-ha!
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Look how fast the water is coming out of the hose.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Wow!
0:05:35 > 0:05:39It easily reaches the smoke high up the building.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42I can't believe all of th...
0:05:42 > 0:05:47All of that water is coming from inside the fire engine.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51I am soaked.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I loved seeing the fire hose in action.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00What was your favourite bit about seeing how a fire hose works?
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Do you remember the name of the special taps that the hose is
0:06:03 > 0:06:05connected to on the fire engine?
0:06:05 > 0:06:09That's right, they're called the valves.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Did you hear the sound the water made when it rushed out of the hose?
0:06:13 > 0:06:16WATER HISSES
0:06:16 > 0:06:20And did you see how fast the water came out of the hose to put
0:06:20 > 0:06:21the fire out?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Wow!
0:06:29 > 0:06:34SIREN BLARES
0:06:40 > 0:06:44The fire engines are really important because they take
0:06:44 > 0:06:46firefighters and their equipment to a fire
0:06:46 > 0:06:49so they can put it out really quickly.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But when they're driving fast to the scene of the fire,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55a fire engine needs to be seen and heard
0:06:55 > 0:06:58so that other drivers on the road know that they're there.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02And that's why a fire engine has a big blue light,
0:07:02 > 0:07:09a siren, and special markings on the side so that everybody can see it.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Police cars, ambulances and, of course,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19fire engines are covered in these special stickers.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24They're called reflective strips and the really clever thing about
0:07:24 > 0:07:28them is that they can be seen in the dark.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31You might have some reflective strips on your clothes or
0:07:31 > 0:07:35maybe on a bag so that you can be seen better at night-time.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39But do you know how reflective strips are made?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42Let's find out.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Today I'm going to show you how this turns into this.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Come with me.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03The outside of a police car starts off like an ordinary white car.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06If it wasn't for the blue light on top
0:08:06 > 0:08:09you wouldn't even know this was a police car.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12But all that's about to change, with lots of these.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22These are huge rolls of reflective material and the team here is
0:08:22 > 0:08:26going to cut the yellow, blue and red rolls into different
0:08:26 > 0:08:29shapes to turn the white car into a police car.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37The different shapes and sizes are designed on this computer and
0:08:37 > 0:08:40then that information is sent to a machine.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48And here the reflective material is cut into all the stickers
0:08:48 > 0:08:52that are needed for the police car.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55The machine uses a special cutter.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57It moves really fast.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Jake is popping out all of the different pieces from the sheet of
0:09:06 > 0:09:10material and then he's going to take them over to be stuck on the car.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13But how do you think he's going to stick them on?
0:09:13 > 0:09:18Well, all of those different shapes and strips have a sticky back.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22They're just like giant stickers. Do you like stickers?
0:09:22 > 0:09:27Steve first makes sure the stickers are in the right position.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32And then, when it's ready, he very carefully peels off the sticky back.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34STICKER CRACKLES
0:09:34 > 0:09:36It's a great sound, isn't it?
0:09:36 > 0:09:40And then he just presses down the sticker using this tool.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44It's called a squeegee and the squeegee rubs the sticker
0:09:44 > 0:09:48down on to the car and makes sure there aren't any air bubbles,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51which would cause it to lift off the car.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It's looking really bright, isn't it?
0:09:58 > 0:10:02But do you know how these reflective strips are made?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05SIREN BLARES
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Reflective stickers are made in layers.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12The first layer is made of a shiny clear plastic called acrylic.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16A stamp is used to press pyramid shapes, called prisms,
0:10:16 > 0:10:17into the acrylic.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22The layer of prisms is laid upside down on to another piece of acrylic.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27In just one centimetre there are 5,000 prisms.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Next another layer of acrylic is fixed on top of the prisms.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34It can be clear or a bright colour, like blue or yellow.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38A layer of glue is then put on the underneath of the tape to
0:10:38 > 0:10:39make it sticky,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41followed by a peel off strip.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45When light hits the sticker it bounces off all the little
0:10:45 > 0:10:48prisms inside and reflects back.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50It looks as if the sticker has lit up,
0:10:50 > 0:10:55which makes it really bright, especially in the dark.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59So, reflective strips are made in layers, but if we use my special
0:10:59 > 0:11:03camera, the microscope, we might be able to see the prisms close up.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07So, you can just about make out the different shapes of the
0:11:07 > 0:11:10prisms on the yellow reflective strip.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14But to really see them we need to shine some light on to the tape.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19Look. Now it's really bright and that's because the light is hitting
0:11:19 > 0:11:23the tape, bouncing around the prisms and then shining back out again.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26What do you think it looks like?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29I think it looks a bit like honeycomb.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34The blue and yellow reflective stickers are being stuck on
0:11:34 > 0:11:37our police car in a special pattern,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and that pattern has a funny name.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Battenberg.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Battenberg is the name of the pattern used
0:11:44 > 0:11:46on all emergency vehicles,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50but emergency services use different colours.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53So, police cars are blue and yellow.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Ambulances - green and yellow.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59And fire engines - red and yellow.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02Back to our car.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06It takes a few hours and now it looks like a police car.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11But why is the word "police" backwards?
0:12:11 > 0:12:15It's for the car driver in front so they can read it in their mirror.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19So, when the word is reflected in a mirror, you read it the
0:12:19 > 0:12:21right way round - police.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23It's clever, isn't it?
0:12:23 > 0:12:26And, at the back, the word "police" is the right way round,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29so people driving behind the car can read it too.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34But there is one last sticker to go on and it goes on the roof.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42If a helicopter is flying overhead, these big letters on the roof
0:12:42 > 0:12:45will let them know exactly which police car it is,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48who's driving it and where it's going.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53The police car is finished and that was a lot of stickers.
0:12:57 > 0:13:03I loved seeing how a plain white car was turned into a police car.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05What was your favourite bit?
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Do you remember what the name of the pattern of stickers is called?
0:13:09 > 0:13:12That's right, it's called Battenberg.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Did you hear the sound the strips made as the back was peeled off?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20STICKER CRACKLES
0:13:20 > 0:13:23And did you see the way the strip looked close up when I used
0:13:23 > 0:13:25my special camera?
0:13:30 > 0:13:34So, the next time you see an emergency vehicle, you'll know
0:13:34 > 0:13:38all about the reflective strips, about how they were put on,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41how they're made and what the different colours mean.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45And the next time you see a fire engine, you'll know how it
0:13:45 > 0:13:47works to pump water through the hose.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Well, I think it's time to hand in my firefighter's helmet.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53I'll see you next time.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58# There are lots of things All around us
0:13:58 > 0:14:02# Exciting things That surround us
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- # But how does it work? - Do you know?
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- # How is it made? - Do you know?
0:14:08 > 0:14:12- # Do you know? - Let's find out! #