Annual fire department open house is Thursday

Fireman Brian Reed scoops up MaKenna Bodle to show her fellow students how the city fire department would rescue an individual from a burning room. The firefighter visited with students at North Elementary School last Wednesday as part of the department's annual visit to each of the city's elementary schools and preschool centers. Bodle is a student in Heidi Harris' second grade classroom.

An open house Thursday evening at the city's main fire station will culminate a yearly observance aimed at promoting fire prevention and safety.

The Mountain Home Fire Department joined forces with stations across the United States to celebrate National Fire Prevention Week, which officially began Monday.

This year's Fire Prevention Week observance will culminate with the department's annual open house, which will run from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday. During the evening, the department will give children and adults a chance to ride the fire trucks on brief trips through town, complete with sirens blazing and lights flashing.

Meanwhile, members from the city fire department and other local agencies will offer a number of handouts for children, including fire helmets and badges. Free refreshments will also be available.

Also scheduled to appear that evening include Sparky the fire dog, Eddie the Eagle firearms safety mascot and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education car.

The longest running public health and safety observance on record, National Fire Prevention Week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that killed more than 250 people and left more than 100,000 others homeless, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

This year's event focuses on the theme, "Let's Get Cookin' With Fire Safety." Kitchen fires are a leading cause of injuries in house fires, said Brian Reed from the Mountain Home Fire Department.

City fire crews started their annual fire prevention effort by meeting with students in local area schools last week. During their briefings with students, fire fighters wore their gear to give these children a firsthand look at how these rescuers will look if they have to enter a burning home.

Children can get easily scared if they see a fire fighters in all of their gear and become equally intimidated by all of the sounds this equipment makes, Reed said. Giving these youngsters a chance to see all of it in a classroom setting helps calm their fears "so they're not afraid if a fire fighter shows up at their house."

Reaching out to children in the local area remains a vital part of promoting fire safety in homes across Mountain Home, Reed added. It encourages these youngsters to take an active role in fire safety by encouraging their families to check their smoke detectors on a regular basis and to develop a fire escape plan for their home and to test those plans during fire drills.

During last year's fire station open house, record-shattering crowds packed into the city's main fire station to enjoy an evening of fun. The turnout shattered a previous record set the year prior, said Mountain Home Fire Chief Alan Bermensolo.

The station had more than 2,000 people attend the open house last October, including roughly 1,600 children.

"This thing keeps growing, and we're happy to keep doing it for the community, Bermensolo said. "We really appreciate how the public comes out and supports this event."