ESTEVAN - For the second straight year, the Estevan Fire Rescue Service will host an open house for Fire Prevention Week.
The event is slated to happen on Oct. 10 at the fire hall from 5-8 p.m. People can enjoy hot dogs, drinks and more. Activities will be offered for children.
The fire department will also have tours of the building available. People can take a look at the fire trucks and other equipment housed in the building, ask questions about the fire department, and learn more about the recruitment drive that is getting underway.
A handful of smoke alarms are to be available for people who need one.
"We feel with the timing, the time of year and weather conditions, instead of us trying to get out and do very limited things in the community, the community can come in here," said Fire Chief Rick Davies. "It works better for us for people to be able to come here, ask questions, see things and do things."
"It's our one time of the year to highlight changes that have happened in the last year. Things are forever evolving around here, so people can come in, have a look and see what's new," added Deputy Fire Chief Kyle Luc.
Last year's open house was well attended and so the department decided to host the event again.
The fire department is also using this year's Fire Prevention Week to remind the public about the risks associated with cooking.
Fire Prevention Week is from Oct. 8-14 and the theme is Cooking Safety Starts with You. There will be tips to remind people how to safely prepare food while in the kitchen.
Davies said cooking-related incidents are always a leading cause of fires and alarm calls in Estevan. Burning food, unattended food and smoke are all related to cooking.
Davies and Luc said the most important thing is for people to pay attention.
"Always keep a close eye on what you're cooking," Davies told the Mercury and SaskToday. "Ensure that you're cooking area is clear of combustibles like dish towels and food packaging and things like that. Make sure you have a kid and pet-free zone around your cooking area … and avoid distractions as well when cooking."
People should not stray from the kitchen when they're cooking, they said.
Luc said it's important for the public to know the security code for their home monitoring system in case of a smoke alarm.
"A lot of the calls we go to are due to people that may rent a house from the owner, and they're unaware of what the code is," said Luc. "If they have a smoke alarm that goes off, it goes to the monitoring agency. If they ask for your code, and people don't know the code, then we're on our way."
For coverage of the open house, and for ongoing coverage of the fire department, please visit our provincial news hub at SaskToday.ca.
