By Amy Batista, Special Writer
CRANBURY — The Fire Department hosted an open house and invited children of all ages to participate as they promoted Fire Prevention Week on Oct. 17.
“We had great weather and a great turnout,” said Cranbury Volunteer Fire Company Chief Michael Kervan.
He said that they also encouraged everyone to see what they do, what equipment they have, meet the firefighters, and hopefully spark some interest and gain some new members.
National Fire Prevention Week was held Oct. 4-10.
“October is our month to promote fire prevention,” he said. “We go out to the schools to teach fire safety, but also want to get the message out to the community.”
Since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which Oct. 9 falls. According to the National Archives and Records Administration’s Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record, according to the National Fire Protection Association website.
The theme this year is “Hear the beep, where you sleep.”
“Every bedroom needs a working smoke detector,” he said.
The key message of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is to install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement. Larger homes may need more alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association website.
“While the first week of October is fire prevention, we want everyone to practice fire safety all year,” said Chief Kervan. “Maintain your smoke and CO detectors and practice your escape plans.”
Half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Only one in five home fires were reported during these hours. One quarter of home fire deaths were caused by fires that started in the bedroom. Another quarter resulted from fires in the living room, family room or den.
Three out of five home fire deaths happen from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms, according to its website.
Smoke alarms save lives. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out. In fact, having a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half, according to its website.
The open house was held from 1 to 4 p.m. at 2 South Main Street at which various apparatus where on display. Safety literature, refreshments and giveaways were available for all.
Firefighters provided a tour of the firehouse and various apparatus, which included brush trucks, rescue trucks, a tanker, a tower truck and much more.
Children and adults had the opportunity to climb in and out of apparatus, get a ride in the tower truck, have a firefighter photo opportunity with a cardboard cutout, learn how to use a fire extinguisher and other hands-on experiences.
The firehouse was also open to recruit members. “We are actively looking for members,” Chief Kervan said.
Those interested in becoming a member can visit the website at www.cranburyfire.org or call 609-395-0633 for more information. Membership applications are available to download as well.
