Each year during October we open our doors for our annual Open House. On this beautiful Sunday afternoon we welcomed community members to the station to see what we do and how we do it. Participants were able to meet our members, check out volunteer opportunities, tour the station, see the various apparatus, learn about the tools we use, take rides on Tower 3 and our ATVs, participate in a firefighter obstacle course, and enjoy some delicious food provided by our Auxiliary.
Our Open House is held in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association's Fire Prevention Week, which has been observed since 1922 each year in October in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871 and caused devastating damage. This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
This year's theme is "Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium Ion Batteries in Your Home." The NFPA recommends three things:
1. Buy Only Listed Products (UL, ETL, or CSA).
2. Charge Devices Safely - charge your device on a hard surface, don’t overcharge your device, and unplug it or remove the battery when it’s fully charged.
3. Recycle Batteries Responsibly - don't just throw lithium ion batteries in the trash. Alpha Ridge Landfill advises they should be recycled through a retail take-back program or at a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day (Saturdays Only, April-November).
We enjoyed meeting everyone who came out today, and we hope to see you next year!