Signs for FIREFIGHTER

A child signing firefighter with the firefigher hat while sitting on the firetruck
Image credit: Jolanta Lapiak, 2016.

Definition: A person whose job is to extinguish fires.

Pronunciation (sign description): Dominant "B" hand (handshape) with the palm facing out (orientation) taps twice (movement) with the back of the hand on the forehead (location).

Handshape rhymes (language play): FIREFIGHTER + BOOTS.

Related signs: FIREFIGHTING, FIRE, FIRETRUCK.

Usage/Grammar

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Language learning, language play, etc.

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Some word entries have one of some tidbits in this section, such as minimal pairs of sign words, rhymes, etc. usually related to or associated with its word entry.

Deaf Culture and tidbits

Deaf Bragging Rights

Georgia fire captain reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language
Screenshot from PBS NewsHour, January 20, 2021.

2021 Jan 20: Georgia Fire Captain Andrea M. Hall recited the Pledge of Allegiance in ASL sign language at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C. She is a coda (a child of deaf parent) and is a president of the International Federation of Firefighters.

Baby signing FIREFIGHTER

Watch the time-lapse video of how the child acquires the sign FIREFIGHTER on the phonological level from baby to age 3. At age 3, she was able to read the word FIRE as well as fingerspelled it loud.

In the beginning, the palm orientation faced in and the location was on the side of the head. As the toddler's language developed, the palm orientation eventually faced out on the forehead.

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