Fire Prevention Week marked with educational displays at Shakespeare Fire Station

Shakespeare firefighters who welcomed the public to last week’s Fire Prevention Week open house included, from left, Capt. Matt Neumeister, firefighter Jamie Simons, firefighter Kyle Soetemans, firefighter Zach Lindner, station chief Greg Ankenmann, deputy chief Steve Marriott, Capt. Dave Bell, firefighter Ayden Gautreau and firefighter Brayden Pines. Gary West photo

By Gary West

The Perth East Fire Department marked Fire Prevention Week last week with interactive displays and demonstrations at the Shakespeare Fire Station.

The department operates out of three stations – Milverton, Sebringville and Shakespeare – each staffed by 22 firefighters, including a station chief, deputy chief and four platoons made up of a captain and four firefighters.

Shakespeare station chief Greg Ankenmann, who has served in the fire service for 35 years and as station chief for the past 10, said Fire Prevention Week plays an important role in keeping the public informed about fire safety. Deputy station chief Steve Marriott has also served in his role since 2015. The Shakespeare platoon captains are Matt Neumeister, Jeff Forthhuber, Barb Myers and Dave Bell.

Fire Prevention Week is held annually during the week of Oct. 9 to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Organized by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), it focuses on educating the public about fire prevention and safety in the home.

“Our goal is to reduce the number of preventable fires and keep fire safety top of mind,” said Ankenmann. “No fire is a good fire.”