Peters Township Fire Department hosts open house
Youngsters in Peters Township had a little taste of what it’s like to be a firefighter.
From blasting water out of a heavy-duty hose to forcing open a door, children participated in a variety of fun and educational activities during Peters Township Fire Department’s annual open house, held Sept. 25.
“Last year, we did it virtually because COVID was at its peak,” Dave Caputo, deputy fire chief and paramedic, said. “This year, we decided that we could do it safely, just spreading it out a little bit more.”
The event featured a maximum of 125 people at each of three sessions, and most of the activities took place outside.
“We were able to offer almost all of the same things that we offered in the past. We just did not do a large group gathering. We tried to keep everybody separated,” Caputo said. “We did encourage facial coverings, and all of our personnel wore facial coverings for the safety of our guests.”
Several activity stations were set up at the department’s main station, off East McMurray Road, as friendly firefighters guided youngsters through the likes of fire extinguisher training, an introduction to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and a fire safety combat challenge.
And of course, lots of equipment was on display for young and old alike to get a firsthand look at the department’s resources for saving lives.
“This is one of our favorite events of the year, because we get to bring a lot of residents and a lot of people who follow us on social media here to see what we actually do,” Caputo said.
“It’s great to be able to bring people back this year, and to be able to see them in person and not just virtually.”
The open house served as a prelude to Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 3-9. Proclaimed in 1925 by President Calvin Coolidge as a national observance, the week represents the longest-running public health observance in our country.
This year’s campaign by the National Fire Protection Association is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety!” The goal is to provide education about the different sounds that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms make.
Fire Prevention Week is observed each year in early October to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, which began on Oct. 8, 1871, and killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.
Beyond responding to emergencies, the Peters Township Fire Department offers community services including car seat checks and home safety inspections. For more information, call 724-941-4176 or visit www.ptfd64.org/168/Fire-Department or www.facebook.com/ptfd64.