BFD75: Fire Department open houses were a hit

Bloomington residents had a chance to meet firefighters, police officers and Public Works staff at the annual fire station open houses held in October in recognition of National Fire Prevention Week.

“It was another exciting day of open houses at the fire stations seeing cool fire trucks, snowplows and police squads,” Assistant Fire Chief/Fire Marshal Laura McCarthy said. “Both firefighters and residents enjoyed participating in the activities.”

At five fire stations, firefighters created a fun atmosphere and spoke about this year’s prevention theme: “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.” They reinforced the critical importance of developing a home escape plan with all members of the household and practicing it regularly.

Residents and children also watched equipment demonstrations, learned how to properly use a fire extinguisher and tested their skills in an agility course, pictured above.