Western Springs Fire Prevention Week Kicks Off—Plus, Tips

October 3-9 marks Fire Prevention week in Western Springs, and the Western Springs Fire Department kicked it off on Monday night with an evening of family fun.

In front of the firehouse, the atmosphere was festive with trucks and trailers of attractions visible from the street. The most popular event of the evening was the ride in the fire truck. Kids and parents lined up 10 deep waiting for a turn. Ellen Schilling of Western Springs brought her daughter Olivia who spent some class time Monday reading about firefighting in school "I'm here to have fun and ride on the truck," she said.

Children also gathered around a playground style fire pole, climbing up, sliding down, and jumping back in line for another turn. Interactive displays, including a smoke-filled trailer home and a sprinkler demonstration, pulled onlookers in. Once inside the trailers, there was no mistaking the message: fires are serious, but preventable.

Firefighter Chuck Lichtenauer of Western Springs conducted the smoke-filled "Safety House" tour and shared some practical tips about kitchen safety. Lichtenauer emphasized the importance of having an escape plan. "Fires never happen at convenient times. You might be in your basement, and your parents upstairs, it's important to have a safety plan the whole family understands".  He also suggested an important part of the evacuation plan is to identify a family meeting place outside the home so each family member is accounted for in an emergency. Other tips include:

• Make sure there are no paper towels or pot holders next to an open flame
• Keep hot pot handles turned in and away from the path of family members and small children in front of the stove
• Even hot water can cause injury. Turn the cold water faucet on first to prevent scalds.

Lt. Ogren of the Western Springs Fire Department was on duty outside the sprinkler system demonstration. A fire raged in a wastebasket on one side of the trailer, while onlookers gazed through a heavy pane of glass on the other side. As soon as the sprinklers came on, the fire was immediately extinguished. Lt. Ogren shared that "a fire doubles in size every second. Fortunately smoke alone will cause an alarm to sound when the (smoke) particles disrupt its light sensors".

Western Springs Fire Department Deputy Chief Ian Seivwright added, "our response time from taking the call to getting to a fire is 4-5 minutes, a sprinkler system will eliminate that response time by extinguishing the fire before we have to".

Inside the building, more than a dozen tables were filled with household safety information, snacks and activities. Children were given cards to have signed at each table to earn a "goodie" bag that included, among many items, a Frisbee, pencils, paper dolls and a fireman's hat.

One of the table attendants was Lucas Knudsen of the Western Springs Fire Department Explorers. The Explorers program is a group of students ages 14-21 who according to Knudsen learn "all aspects of firefighting" including "search and rescue and EMS training".  Based on his training and experience Knudson suggests "Western Springs families need to be aware of hidden dangers in the home and improve safety with smoke detectors and sprinklers."

Some final tips:

• 40% of all house fires start in the kitchen. The kitchen is a great place to put prevention into action. Keep flammable items away from the stovetop, and never leave food unattended.
• Smoke detectors should be installed and maintained in every home to alert family members to danger. Check to make sure your alarms work properly but pushing the test button at least once a month.
• Sprinkler systems can reduce fire damage by extinguishing a fire several minutes before firefighters arrive. Check with your builder or contractor about the cost of installation. Call your insurance company to see if there is a discount for having a sprinkler system in your home.
• Electrical fires are a common cause of home fires. Hire a licensed electrician when needed for repairs. Keep space heaters off when not in use and away from curtains or bedding that can catch fire.
• All families should have an emergency evacuation plan including a meeting place outside the home.

Fire prevention week continues through Saturday.