Rockville Centre Fire Department to host open house on Oct. 9

Of the twelve months of the year, the choice of October as Fire Prevention Month across America is not a random one. October marks the start of the home heating season in much of the country, and along with starting our furnaces for the first time come associated dangers that can be minimized by a few simple preventive chores. The first is to change the batteries in your smoke and CO detectors. This should be done biannually at the same time that you change your clocks, once in the spring, and again in the fall. Daylight savings time happens to occur during Fire Prevention Month, coincidence? Think of it as resetting the clock on personal safety in your home, and giving your fire department an edge on protecting you and your family.

Prior to firing up your furnace for the first time you should contact your home heating professional and make sure a technician visits your home to check your heating unit. In addition to ensuring it’s operating efficiently, the technician will check to ensure it’s drafting correctly to rid your house of harmful carbon monoxide gas, a deadly byproduct of combustion. In the same vein, if your house is so equipped, please ensure your chimney and flue are clean and free of soot and debris.

The Rockville Centre Fire Department will host an open house for friends and neighbors this Sunday, Oct. 9, starting at 11 am, at the firehouse at 103 Maple Ave., on the corner of Morris Avenue. Firefighters will discuss tips to make your home safer, provide demonstrations of firefighting and rescue techniques, and will actively recruit for the department and the newly formed Junior Fire Department for young adults from 13 to 17. As always, apparatus will be on display, and members of the department will be on hand to answer questions and show visitors around. This promises to be a fun filled and productive experience, so bring your family, and join theirs, for a wonderful day.