Smithville Fire Department hosting a community open house Saturday at the downtown Fire Hall, giving residents an opportunity to meet firefighters and learn more about fire safety.
Smithville operates as a combination department with three full-time staff members and 20 volunteers. Fire Chief Charles Parker said it’s an important event.
“We want the kids, old and young alike, to come and see the fire trucks,” Parker said. “This is an opportunity they get to sit inside a fire truck, see how it feels like, see our equipment, and kind of like I said, just have a big time, get the kids involved, get them working on fire safety stuff.”
Parker said the department will also distribute free smoke detectors provided through a partnership with the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office. Parker said the goal is to increase the number of homes in Smithville and DeKalb County equipped with working alarms.
“The, we really don’t enjoy going out and putting out fires, so if we can prevent them ahead of time, that is the best possible outcome that we always look for,” Parker said.
In addition to fires, the department responds to vehicle wrecks and technical rescues.
“A lot of them may know some of them, but also recognize them, give them some recognition for the job they do in volunteering,” Parker said. “We do many services not just fire and public education.”
One focus of the open house will be helping children become familiar with firefighters and their protective equipment. Turnout gear, air packs, and masks can make firefighters difficult for children to recognize during an emergency.
“So we want to make sure that they’re not scared of a fireman that may be coming to help them or whatever, that they recognize that up front,” Parker said. “And also that they learn at a young age that fire can hurt you, them, or it can damage their house where they live and just kind of make them aware of that.”
The event will also include an obstacle course giving children a look at firefighter training. The open house runs from 9am to noon Saturday, rain or shine. The event was rescheduled from its original date during Fire Prevention Week due to weather issues caused by a hurricane.
