Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services to hold ‘Fire Prevention Week’ open houses

To mark Fire Prevention Week, Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services (CRFRS) is set to hold four upcoming open houses that it says are designed to be fun and educational.

With Fire Prevention Week set to take place Oct. 6-12, the open houses will be happening at every CRFRS fire hall in Clearwater County.

Oct. 8 at the Leslieville Public Services Building from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Oct. 9 at the Caroline fire hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Oct. 10 at the Rocky Mountain House fire hall from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Oct. 11 at the Nordegg Public Services Building from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Along with a free BBQ, Michael VanderBaaren, fire prevention officer with CRFRS, says each event will have a number of demonstrations from real firefighters, as well as many hands-on activities.

“We’re planning some firefighter fitness challenges courses that our firefighters run,” says VanderBaaren. “There will be some fun for adults too; we’ll have some fire apparatus demonstrations as well as some hands-on activities with tools.”

The firefighter fitness course involves a simulated hose pull from a fire truck, as well as an obstacle course designed to test physical fitness.

Firefighters will also demonstrate knocking down a fire wall, which will be simulated and won’t have any actual open flame.

It’s always a thrill for kids to watch, he adds.

The theme for 2024 Fire Prevention Week is ‘Early Detection,’ says VanderBaaren, as this year’s event will focus on smoke alarm placement and why it’s the first line of defense in the event of a fire.

“Your home will actually be untenable, unsurvivable well before you have full-on property damage,” says VanderBaaren. “We like to stress ‘getting out early.’ You really have less time to get out than you think.”

As was the Fire Prevention Week theme in 2023, VanderBaaren says cooking and kitchen fires remain the most common sources of household fire damage, and taking steps to adopt safe cooking practices remains an important aspect of fire prevention.

As fire prevention officers, VanderBaaren says there are many ongoing fire prevention initiatives within Clearwater County, such as the Nordegg Fireguard Program.

Part of the provincial FireSmart program, as well as the Fire Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA), fireguards aim to make communities near forested areas more defensible against wildfires.

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