In a Flash Firefighters
In a Flash Firefighters Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
4 game boards (each made up of 2 parts), 60 hose tiles, 5 starting tiles, 9 firefighting medals, 1 water hose nozzle tile, 4 wooden fire hydrants, 1 rulebook
Before the First Game
Carefully punch out the tiles from the punchboards. Also punch out the inner parts of the game boards. You can throw away the remaining parts of the panels.
Game Setup
- Each player takes both parts of a game board and puts it together in front of them.
- Mix together all of the hose tiles and pile them in the center of the table.
- Place the water hose nozzle tile in the center within reach of all players.
- Place the firefighters' medals nearby.
- Each player takes a fire hydrant and places it in the space on their game board where the fire hydrant symbol is located,*
- Shuffle the starting hose tiles face down. Each player takes a random starting hose tile and places it on their game board over their fire hydrant.
- Return all other game boards, starting tiles, and fire hydrants to the box.
* TIP: If children of different ages play with each other or children play with adults, the experienced players can place their fire hydrants one or two spaces further from the fire so that they need more hose tiles.
How to Play
The game is played over several rounds. When everyone is ready, the youngest player says "To the hoses! Ready! Go!" and the game begins.
At the same time, all players search for their next hose tile from the center of the table. They'll take that hose tile and connect it to the hose on their game board, extending it to the fire.
The following rules apply:
- You may only use one hand to search for your next hose tile.
- Place one hose tile after the other on your game board so that the hose gets longer and longer, going from left to right.
- You can turn the hose tiles any way you like.
- Make sure that the connection joints fit together properly. There are 5 possible positions where the hose can start or stop on a hose tile.
- If the tile does not line up correctly, you must return it to the center of the table.
End of the Round
Once a player manages to build their hose all the way to the fire, they quickly grab the hose nozzle tile and connect it to the end of their hose. Then, they yell out "Water on!," and the fire is out!
(Illustration: ready to use hose with hose nozzle tile.)
All other players immediately stop searching for hoses. Check whether the fastest player has properly built a continuous hose to the fire, i.e. whether all hose tiles fit together.
Has the hose been built incorrectly?
- Unfortunately, they lost track in all the chaos. Return their incorrectly placed tile and all tiles to the right of it to the center. Mix up the tiles thoroughly. When everyone is ready, the youngest player says "To your hoses! Ready! Go!" and all players can continue searching.
Has their hose been built down correctly?
(Printed as "built down correctly" in the source; kept as printed.)
- Brilliant! They are awarded a firefighter's medal. Place the firefighters' medal in one of the round holes on their game board.
Preparation for the Next Round
- The player who won the medal moves their fire hydrant one space away from the fire. In the next round, they have to lay an additional hose tile. If their fire hydrant is already on the space farthest away from the fire, it stays there.
- The other players count their hose tiles. The players who have laid the fewest hose tiles may move their fire hydrant one space closer to the fire. If their fire hydrant is already on the far space closest to the fire, it stays there.
- All players return their hose tiles to the center. Shuffle the pile thoroughly. Return the hose nozzle tile to the center.
- Everyone now passes their starting tile to their neighbor on the left and places their new starting hose tile over their fire hydrant.
The next round starts with the command "To the hoses! Ready! Go!"
End of the Game
As soon as a player receives their third firefighters' medal, they win the game and become one of the best firefighters in town. Congratulations! You've earned a big round of applause from the entire firefighting team!