Firefighters Praised for Comforting Scared Girl After Car Crash—By Allowing Her to Paint Their Nails

A truck from the Circleville Fire Company in the Triennial Fire Parade in Goshen on Sept. 12, 2015. Holly Kellum/Epoch Times

Two firefighters in Utah have received praise after finding a very creative way to help calm a frightened child following a car accident, officials said.

Battalion Chief Allen Hadley and Capt. Kevin Lloyd with the North Davis Fire District were attending the scene of the car crash in North Davis when they noticed a young girl uninjured but looking very scared.

According to a post by the fire district on Facebook, the two firefighters realized the child was holding a bottle of nail polish and began talking to her about the product in an attempt to distract her from the frightening scene.

The pair then asked the young girl if she would paint their nails, to which she happily obliged.

Within minutes, the girl appeared to be much calmer and had “forgotten” about the crash, according to the post.

The Associated Press reported that no one was seriously injured in the accident, but the girl’s mother was examined by medics.

A spokesman for the North Davis Fire District shared photos of the two firefighters on Facebook as they proudly showed off their new purple manicure.

Alongside the pictures, they wrote: “This is how amazing our firefighters are. Our A shift Battalion Chief and Captain were on the scene of a motor vehicle accident where a small female child was not injured but very scared.

“After noticing the child was holding bottles of fingernail polish, these two officers started talking to her about her polish and asked her if she would paint their nails.

“Within minutes, the child was calmly paining their nails and had forgotten about the accident she had just experienced.”

The spokesperson praised Hadley and Lloyd for doing a “great job” and “providing awesome customer service” to the young child.

Fire Chief Mark Becraft also commented on the post, commending the two firefighters for their incredible work and exemplifying the values of the department, including “safety, compassion, and customer service”.

He wrote, “Kudos to these great guys that serve our community, it’s just the little things that make a huge difference.”

Other Facebook users were quick to share their praise for the two firefighters, with one person writing: “What a wonderful teaching moment. Handled with grace and understanding. My hat is off to the two of you.”

Another added, “Best first responders and with a special ability to calm a scared little girl and make a scary situation bearable for this little girl, above and beyond the call of duty.”