Bolivar Fire Department to host open house
The Bolivar Fire Department will hold its annual public open house on Saturday, Oct. 15 from noon to 4 p.m. at the fire station. The date falls at the end of Fire Prevention Week and helps both children and adults learn tips for fire prevention and safety.
In addition to demonstrations of firefighting and EMS equipment and technology, children can become junior firefighters in an agility course that includes putting out a “fire” in a mock home.
Another demonstration will take place in the Smokehouse, a trailer where kids can learn how to escape a house fire by crawling under the smoke. A machine generates a mist that imitates smoke.
Logan Haley, a firefighter/EMT, explained why the trailer is important. “It safely mimics what the beginnings of a fire would be like, so it helps kids know what to do if they find smoke in the hallway or the bedroom,” Haley said. “It also teaches them how to feel the door to see if it’s hot and safe ways to enter and exit the building. It’s a very big tool to help even young kids know the safe things to do in a fire or smoke situation.”
Lynch said kids also will learn the safest place to wait out fire if they can’t get out. “That’s in their bedrooms, close to a window so we can find them rapidly.”
Roger Bethel, a firefighter/paramedic, described other functions of the Smokehouse. “It also demonstrates other household hazards for kids, like hot stoves and electrical outlets. It’s all part of our outreach to the community. This community is really important to us. Anytime we need anything, they’re there to back us. So we feel that if there’s anything we can do for them, even just looking at safety, we want to do it.”
Lynch said there also will be wooden doll houses built by the Tusky Valley High School shop class several years ago. “They show kids and adults how fire, heat and smoke travel through your home and why sleeping with doors closed is important. It’s very educational.”
Besides teaching fire safety, the purpose of the open house is intended to help taxpayers understand how their tax dollars are being used.
“They’ll see all the equipment we have, and we’ll have some literature that explains how expensive the equipment is and what the cost would be to replace it,” Lynch said.
New truck and other attractions
The department is planning to demonstrate some of its life-saving equipment such as LIFEPAK-15 heart monitor units that perform EKGs and check blood pressure, oxygen and carbon-dioxide levels.
There also is the LUCAS chest-compression device responders transition to at some point during CPR efforts. “It operates at the proper rate and depth consistently, and it never gets tired,” Lynch said. “It also allows us to perform other life-saving procedures while it continues to deliver compressions.”
In addition, Lynch said a car is being donated by Doug Finlayson Towing, and fire and rescue workers will demonstrate the equipment they use to remove people who have had car accidents.
The newest truck is expected to generate quite a bit of interest. The truck was purchased with help from Lawrence Township and the villages of Bolivar and Zoar and will serve residents in all of those locations.
The truck combines the functions of both an engine and a ladder truck to perform two jobs with one truck. “This truck is 107 feet, so it’s 32 feet longer than our old one, and the ladder can easily reach four stories in height to put out fires,” Bethel said.
A highlight of last year’s event will make a return if the weather cooperates. A MedFlight helicopter will fly in, and those in attendance can speak with the flight crew and have a peek inside of the chopper.
Door prizes and refreshments
As always, the department will serve refreshments for all who attend. “We will also ask everyone to drop their name in a hat, and about every half hour, we’ll give away a new smoke detector,” Lynch said.