Baldwin Fire Department hosts fire prevention event

The Baldwin Fire Department will be hosting a fire prevention open house on Sunday, October 15 at 1 p.m.

This event will take place in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week. The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is cooking safety. The fire prevention demonstration will occur at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Lorenz Avenue.

“We haven’t had this event in three years because of Covid,” Tom Ryley, chairman of fire prevention bureau of the Baldwin Fire Department, said. “So this is the first time we’re doing this since 2019.”

There will be fire prevention demonstrations and cooking safety tips. Oil burner fires and a fire extinguisher will be shown at the event. Also, the fire department will be cutting open a car.

According to Ryley, the fire department has been receiving a lot of calls lately about senior citizens falling so senior fall prevention is one of the main things that will be discussed.

“Our first aid company is going to be setting up a stop and bleed demonstration,” Ryley said. “We’re also going to be hoping to have some literature there for senior citizens like home safety and fall prevention.”

Ryley mentioned that the fire department picked the location on Grand Avenue so people who see it driving by might stop to attend the open house. In previous years, this event has garnered anywhere from several dozen people to almost 100 people and Ryley said he hopes this year will have a good turnout.

“We’re gonna have a stove and we’ll demonstrate some cooking,” Ryler said. “The winter is coming up so we will have a mock open oil burner.”

One of the firetrucks will let kids shoot water from the hose, as well as let them climb into the truck.

“We look forward to an event like this because it’s one of the only times a year that we can be in front of the community where we’re not putting out a fire or taking someone to the hospital or for any other bad reason,” Ryley said. “So we usually host an event like this, if we can, for the people to see us in a good way.”

Ryley said he is hoping the weather will cooperate, as it will have to be rescheduled if there is rain. He said that there is no rain date as of yet, but will play it by ear. Ryley also plans for this event to occur again next year.