Record crowds attend fire station open house

It was "all aboard" at the Mountain Home Fire Department as parents and children boarded the station's trucks during this year's open house on Friday. A record number of more than 1,800 people packed into Station One throughout the evening to participate in this year's event, which culminated the department's annual fire prevention week observance.

Record crowds packed into the city's main fire station to enjoy an evening of fun during an open house Thursday evening.

Held in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week, the annual event wrapped up a series of activities in local-area schools aimed at spreading fire safety messages.

"Despite some not-so-perfect weather, we had larger crowds than last year," said Mountain Home Fire Chief Alan Bermensolo. He estimated that at least 1,800 people gathered at the station throughout the evening.

John Walker, Mountain Home Air Force Base assistant fire chief, shows a youngster how to use a fire extinguisher during a demonstration inside the city fire station. A beam of light replaced actual water or fire retardant as the youngsters took aim at a screen that replicated a growing fire.

"We had some great participation. It was a huge success," he said.

The fire chief praised his firefighters and the team of volunteers from the city police department and other community agencies for their efforts to make the event so successful.

The longest running public health and safety observance on record, it 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.

Sparky the fire dog took time to meet with children as they waited in line to attend the fire department's open house.

"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."

The fire chief also thanked local area schools and preschools, who hosted special fire prevention observances during the week featuring presentations by local fire fighters.

People were already standing in line next to Fire Station 1 as early as 4:30 p.m. Thursday for a chance to meet with local fire fighters and to ride on one of the department's trucks. By the time the open house officially opened at 5 p.m., the line of people led from the station down East 2nd South Street and continued around the corner.

Eddie Ortiz and his wife, Jessica, were the first in line along with their children, Kiley and Courtney.

"We were trying to beat the rush; we didn't want to have to wait in line," said Ortiz, who has attended every fire station open house in Mountain Home since he was about three years old.

"It's just fun. I liked it as a kid, and now my kids like it," he said.

Thursday marked the third straight year that Rayla Johnson had been to the open house.

"We've been going every since I was in kindergarten, and now I'm in second grade," the seven year old said. "It was awesome. We got to sit on the top of the truck."

"It was a little chilly up there," said her father, Roy Johnson, as he described the evening's breezy weather.

As people waited, they had a chance to pick up free hot dogs cooked up by the city fire fighters. According to Bermensolo, the department ran out of its supply of 1,000 frankfurters before the event wrapped up that evening.

Meanwhile, members of the local Citizens on Patrol unit handed out hundreds of toy fire helmets and badges along with fire safety pamphlets and other information.

The lure of riding a fire truck was more than an incentive for parents and children to wait patiently in line, according to Bermensolo. Some of them admitted they had waited at least 45 minutes.

"To me, that shows how much parents are focused on fire safety for themselves and their kids," the fire chief said.

"I'd never had a chance to do this before," said Valerie Montero, who had just finished riding a truck with her husband, Jeff, and their sons, Caleb and Joshua.

"I've been to a few open houses like this, and they never had anything like this," Jeff Montero added.

The event made a significant impact on their son, Joshua, who told his parents that he plans to become a firefighter when he's old enough.

The open house had a more personal meaning for Bridget Markham, who helped her daughter, Millee, try on one of the toy fire helmets.

"My dad's on the fire department. I grew up here," she said.

After riding on the fire trucks, many of the youngsters stopped by booths to pick up some fire safety information as well as free cookies and fruit punch. While some of them wanted to pose for photos in front of the department's vintage fire truck, others like Ayden Hayter were drawn to a fire extinguisher simulator set up nearby.

Taught by John Walker, assistant fire chief with the fire department at nearby Mountain Home Air Force Base, the simulator replicates a rapidly-growing fire with a sensor in the extinguisher simulating a stream of retardant that the youngsters would "fire" at the flames.

With people still waiting in line throughout the evening, the department made it a point to ensure every person had a chance to ride the trucks.

"We didn't turn anybody back," Bermensolo said.