Fire Prevention Week is about keeping families safe

Maryville, Mo. - http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/news/x319048089/Fire-Prevention-Week-is-about-keeping-families-safe

Fire Prevention week was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Each year the campaign is about keeping you, your family and your community safer from fire.

While Fire Prevention Week is October 9 – 15, the entire month is actually devoted to Fire Prevention.

This year’s theme is about “protecting your family from fire.”

Shawn Wiederholt of Guilford has been fighting fires with Maryville Public Safety for over five years.

“This time of year is really important to check everything in your house – smoke alarms and fire extinguishers,” Wiederholt said. “We’re about to check in on older folks in town and change all the batteries in their smoke alarms.”

Wiederholt was at Eugene Field Elementary School with volunteer firefighter Dilan DeVries, of Maryville on Thursday to do an after-school demonstration for students.

The pair arrived in a fire truck and students filed out one group at a time to get a up close look at the fire truck and the equipment.

Fourth grader Ethan Stone jumped up onto the fire truck and looked around.

“I didn’t know we’d get a chance to actually get up onto the truck, I think it’s neat we could get in it!” Stone said.

To test their knowledge, Weiderholt asks the students some basic questions about fire prevention. They knew some basics but he added more good tips for them to remember.

With this year’s theme about protecting your family from fire, Missouri’s fire marshal is urging residents to develop fire escape routes for their homes and practice at least twice a year.

Phil Rickabaugh, fire division supervisor, says that many families do not have escape plans. Every second counts, and escape plans help you get out of your home quickly.

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