Throughout the region this past week a number of the local Fire Departments held their annual open houses to correspond with national Fire Prevention Week.
For many of the young people who attended, like my son Malachi, it was a great opportunity to climb into the fire trucks and try their hand at operating some of the firefighting equipment which is particularly fascinating to young people. It is also a good opportunity for the community to see the type of equipment that is used to combat the various types of fires that happen in our region.
But the open houses also have a purpose other than showing and testing out the latest firefighting equipment. There is always a strong educational component to these annual events and that was again the case at the fire stations I visited in Steinbach and in New Bothwell. This year’s theme for Fire Prevention Week was “Prevent Kitchen Fires” and included educational information on how to prevent and to deal with kitchen and other household fires.
The annual event is also an opportunity for the community to come and to say thank you to the men and women who make up our fire departments. Most are volunteer or part-time firefighters and they give of their time to help keep the community safe. They commit the time to ongoing courses and training and to community outreach events. As well, their employers also allow them to be part of the fire department and to take time away from their job when they are called away to an emergency. It is truly a community effort to ensure that our fire department is strong and ready when emergencies happen.
We are fortunate in southeastern Manitoba to have so many people willing to serve on the fire department and to help protect the community. The annual open house at the fire halls through Manitoba are both fun and educational and also a time to say ‘thank-you’ to those who are so willing to serve our communities.
