CHENANGO COUNTY – It’s the longest running public health and safety observance on record in the United States – established in 1925, according to the National Fire Protection Association – and fire departments across Chenango County will recognize Fire Prevention Week with open houses throughout the week and month.
Fire Prevention Week officially kicked-off on Sunday and will run through Oct. 13, said Michael Beckwith, deputy fire coordinator for Chenango County, with the Smithville Fire Department hosting its annual pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. at its station on State Highway 41, Smithville Flats, over the weekend. A number of other departments, he added, will hold open houses over the course of the week, including:
• Oxford Fire Department, Open House, 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oxford FD, 20 Main St.
• Sherburne Fire Department, Open House, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sherburne FD, 15 West State St.
• Norwich Fire Department, Open House, 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Norwich FD, 31 East Main St.
• North Norwich Fire Department, Open House and pancake breakfast, 7 to 11 a.m., Saturday, North Norwich.
According to Beckwith, many of the county’s other fire departments will wait for the end of the month – and Halloween – to hold their respective open houses. More information will be made available as those times and dates are released, he added.
Many of this week’s open houses – including those in Sherburne and Norwich – will feature demonstrations, children’s activities, tours and volunteer membership information. Information and materials on fire prevention will also be available, as well as blood pressure checks and information on the proper installation and use of smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers. The NFPA recommends the replacement of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – and fire extinguishers – every eight years.
The various open houses held across the county also offer the general public an opportunity to meet with their respective fire departments and their members, said Norwich Fire Chief Tracy Chawgo.
“It’s important to support your local fire department and get to know its members,” added Chawgo. “They’re going to be the ones to come and take care of you in your time of need. It’s good to have some familiarity with them.”
According to Chawgo, the number of homes and businesses without a working smoke detector – and carbon monoxide detector – remains a concern.
“I think the biggest thing we need to stress is that there are still homes out there that don’t have smoke detectors,” said Chawgo, who added a recent fire, knocked down by the Norwich FD, revealed a home without a single working detector. “You’d be surprised, even in this day and age ... we find them all the time. That’s just a disaster waiting to happen and a smoke detector is probably going to save your life if you have a fire, some people don’t seem to understand that.”
This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Have 2 Ways Out!,” according to the NFPA website, nfpa.org, and focuses on the importance of planning and practicing a fire escape route. According to the website, the reality is that “when a fire strikes, your home could be engulfed in smoke and flames in just a few minutes” and “it is important to have a home fire escape plan that prepares your family to think fast and get out quickly when the smoke alarm sounds.”
For more information, visit nfpa.org or contact your local fire department.