When firefighters respond to fires or medical emergencies, they meet people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

They not only rush to put out fires but also help people experiencing fear or confusion.

Their big yellow suits, helmets, face masks and breathing apparatuses — which can make them sound like Darth Vader — can be scary to children, who might not understand who the person is behind the mask.

Ivan Solis, a local firefighter and the vice president of the Dallas Hispanic Firefighters Association, often wonders how he can turn that fear into curiosity.

So, a few years ago, the group began organizing annual toy drives for the young patients at Children’s Health, aiming to help the hospital’s efforts to make them feel safe, comfortable and loved inside the hospital.

Boasting a membership of more than 900 people eager to connect with their community outside of emergencies, their toy drive was a success from its inception. Nearly a dozen fire stations collected dolls, stuffed animals and a heap of toys that a crew of firefighters delivered to the hospital atop a fire truck.

“People were excited to be able to give back in a different way,” Solis said. “It was a way to show how grateful we are as paramedics and firefighters to have Children’s Health in our city.”

But that wasn’t enough, they wanted to do more.

For the last couple years, the firefighters association has partnered with Children’s Health to set up outside the hospital’s Specialty Center during Fire Prevention Week in October to connect with patients and their families. They drive out their bright red, 1941 fire engine and bring along Sparky the Fire Dog — the National Fire Protection Association’s official mascot.

Children visiting the hospital that week got to meet some of Dallas’ firefighters and learn about fire safety, prevention and the importance of an emergency plan.

“This opportunity helps us build that relationship between children and first responders,” Ivan said. “Having that interaction off duty with us can help make them be less scared if they have to call 911.”

Crew members also performed demonstrations in which they put on all their gear, allowing children to recognize that there’s a friendly face underneath it all. Kids also had the opportunity to touch and feel the equipment.

“We've had a great time doing this. It's good to see those kids’ faces light up every time we get a chance to meet them. It’s special,” Ivan said. “Anything we can do to help make their day a little bit brighter, that's what we're going to do.”

The organization’s partnership with Children’s Health has allowed Ivan and his colleagues to go beyond what’s expected of them and deepen their connections to the people they serve.

“It's about all the extra work put in to make sure that we fulfill that dream of getting to help the community,” he said. “That's one thing that I realized about Children's Health — they truly care about the patients and about the people. That parallels a lot of what we see in the fire department.”