Once again, October is a big month for fire prevention activities in the Battlefords and around North America.
Oct. 9 to 15 was proclaimed Fire Prevention Week in the City of North Battleford. The week is a high point for firefighters in their year-round effort to educate people on how to prevent fires from happening.
The events began Saturday with an open house at the North Battleford fire hall that was open to the public and families. People toured the fire hall to see the equipment and to take a look at the facility following renovations that took place a year and a half ago.
On Tuesday a fire prevention booth was set up at Territorial Place Mall to get the message out to people about fire prevention, and another booth was scheduled to be set up Thursday at Frontier Mall.
The high point of the week was on Wednesday during the noon hour when the popular smokey on a bun event was held at the fire hall. There, for $6, people could enjoy a smokey as well as salad, cake and a refreshment.
Proceeds from that event go to the Burn Fund. According to Nathan Johnson, the burn fund representive for Local No. 1756, proceeds go to either buying medical equipment for hospitals, or to burn fund camps in B.C. and Alberta for children who have suffered burns.
Monday, Oct. 17, fire chief for a day was scheduled. Students from area schools win the opportunity to be the fire chief for the day. They get a tour of the fire department and a chance to see the equipment, and enjoy a lunch courtesy of Domino’s Pizza.
The theme for this year’s fire prevention activities is “Don’t Wait — Check the Date.” According to Fire Chief Albert Headrick, residents are urged to check the batteries for their smoke alarms and make sure they are up to date and not more than 10 years old.
More information about Fire Prevention Week was published in a special feature in the Oct. 6 edition of the Regional Optimist.
Fire Prevention Week is held during the second week of October every year for a reason. It is to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire that broke out on Oct. 8 and 9, 1871.
This week has been a prime focus of the fire department’s prevention and education efforts, but it doesn’t stop there. Headrick emphasizes it is a year-long effort.
“We don’t just do it during this one week of the year,” said Headrick. “We’re out there doing in-service inspections, we’re out there doing displays, we’re out there educating the public on a daily routine all year round. That’s what we do. And that’s why our statistics, when it comes to fires, are low. But that being said, everybody has to work collectively to achieve those goals.”
