St. Marys Fire Dept. open house closes off Fire Prevention Week

Evan (right) stays focused like he’s driving the fire engine. He’s pictured with Sofie Altimimi.

By Emily Stewart

Families flocked to the St. Marys Fire Department just minutes after their open house began.

The St. Marys Fire Fighters Association held an open house at its station on Oct. 11 for Fire Prevention Week. The event featured demonstrations, displays of fire trucks and fire safety education. Perth County Paramedic Service and Stratford police were also present at the event.

Fire Prevention Week ran from Oct. 5-11 with a focus on safety around lithium-ion batteries found in laptops, cell phones, remotes, watches and hearing aids. The St. Marys Fire Department paired up with the National Fire Protection Association to promote safe use of lithium-ion batteries. The local firefighters shared safety tips on social media, such as unplugging devices when fully charged, keeping batteries away from flammable materials and charging devices only at room temperature.

“Every day, there are more and more lithium-ion batteries being used out there in the community and just showing the importance on how to properly use them and properly charge them is probably the biggest thing we could put an emphasis on this year,” said fire prevention officer Chris St. Clair.

The fire department also recommends checking batteries and changing batteries at least once a year, and having a proper fire-escape plan.

Earlier in the week, the St. Marys Fire Fighters Association also held its annual pigtail dinner and a meet-and-greet with the firefighters at Your Independent Grocer, with a firetruck and swag bags, as part of Fire Prevention Week.