Local Fire Departments Host Fair To Support Fire Safety

Across the nation, Fire Prevention Week has been celebrated. The theme this year, chosen by the National Fire Protection Association, is Prevent Kitchen Fires, which is the largest cause for house fires throughout the country. In Farmville, seven fire departments worked together to try and get the message of fire safety across the county by hosting an event in the Southgate Shopping Center parking lot on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Participating fire departments included Hampden-Sydney Volunteer Fire Department, Farmville Volunteer Fire Department, Pamplin Volunteer Fire Department, Prospect Volunteer Fire Department, Meherrin Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Darlington Heights Volunteer Fire Department and Rice Volunteer Fire Department.

Ray Draper, chief of the Hampden-Sydney Fire Department, described Fire Prevention Week as an effort to bring awareness to the community. He said, “It’s just to let people [know] that October is Fire Prevention Month because that’s the start of the heating season for everybody, where all the grass and everything dries up.” The dryness that comes with the changing seasons tends to increase the chance of fires starting.

Going along with the theme of preventing kitchen fires, a major focus of Fire Prevention Week this year is the promotion of smoke detectors and other fire safety measures in the home. Tony Williams, chief of Pamplin Fire Department, said, “Promoting smoke detectors, making sure everybody changes the batteries at least once, if not twice, a year, installing sprinklers – that’s the big thing now.”

Along with smoke detectors and sprinklers, Draper emphasized the importance of fire extinguishers in the kitchen. “They’re designed so you can actually put a little kitchen fire out. You know, like a panel fire in the kitchen. Or try to leave the house. If you’ve got something on fire … get out of the house,” he said.

At the event at Southgate Shopping Center, there were several children present to help raise awareness. Draper and Williams talked about how it is important for children to know how to react if they ever find themselves caught in a fire or in any situation where they need to contact firefighters.

Williams said, “A lot of times kids get frightened. They go underneath the bed or into the closets. We don’t want them to go there … we want them out [of the house]. And if they get caught inside, and we come in with all this massive gear on, we want them to know not to be afraid of us.”

There were attractions at this event, such as inflatable bouncing houses and Smokey the Bear, to catch the interest of children. However, there were also several chances for the children to interact with firefighters. They were able to go inside the fire trucks and wear firefighter hats and gear as well. Williams further explained that the intent was for children to “find out the firemen are their friends.”

He continued, “I mean, they’re our future firemen. Statistics [show] that volunteer numbers are diminishing because there’s so much training involved [in] becoming a firefigh

With young kids coming up, they might have the time and energy, and that’s what we’re trying to capture.”