Camden Holcombe has his face painted at the Prince Albert Fire Department Open House. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

By Ian Gustafson

Open House

Department raising awareness for Fire Prevention Week

Oct 6, 2019 | 2:23 PM

The Prince Albert Fire Department kicked off Fire Prevention Week with their annual open house on Sunday.

Fire Prevention Week is set by the National Fire Protection Association. This year’s campaign “Not every hero wears a cape. Plan and practice your escape!” is meant to remind the public they need to take personal steps to increase safety from fire – and how to escape safely in the event of one.

“This Sunday is the start of it so it’s going to be followed by an entire week of fire prevention displays and activities,” Prince Albert Fire Chief Kris Olsen told paNOW.

Before doors opened at 10 a.m., there were people lined up outside waiting to go into the fire hall.

“It’s actually exciting for us because there’s always a little apprehension. We put in the work, you know we’re all ready for everyone to show up, that’s where last year really hit off because we had a couple slower years, maybe conflicted with other community events and last year something clicked,” Olsen told paNOW.

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One of two bouncy castles at the Prince Albert Fire Department’s annual open house. (Ian Gustafson/paNOW Staff)

A year ago, Olsen said they decided to cater more to children and brought in a bouncy castle.

“It really took off. We had excellent attendance last year so we said you know what, why mess up a good thing and we went towards the children again,” he said.

This year’s event also included face paint, colouring stations, cookies and tours for the whole family.

“We want to get the message out regarding fire education and fire prevention. Not only that but showcase what we deliver to the citizens of Prince Albert and I think Prince Albert can be proud of the service we provide,” he said.

“We’re here to show you not only the building but get to meet the firefighters, get to meet the staff that work here and see the equipment we have to work with.”

The Prince Albert Firefighters charity was also present raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Anyone who purchased a $5 ticket was entered to win a signed Prince Albert Raiders jersey and had the opportunity to sign a fire truck the department had wrapped in pink to support the cause.

Quentin Rowland, one of two Fire Inspectors at the department, was at the open house Sunday educating people on fire safety. Rowland said this year they’ll focus their message on knowing two ways out of your home. According to the Fire Prevention Canada website, statistics show that, on average, fire kills eight people each week in Canada, with residential fires accounting for 73 per cent of those fatalities. Most of the fatalities take place between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. while occupants are asleep.

Rowland said its important to practice your exit drills, know your two ways out, know how to escape through windows, know where there is a muster point outside, and ensure children know how to call 9-1-1.

“It’s great to have the kids come here. You know a lot of the younger guys are really afraid of us potentially, so we want to make sure they know what a firefighter looks like,” Rowland said.

“We want to push that fire prevention, but we want to make fire safety fun,” he added.

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Ian.Gustafson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @IanGustafson12