Avondale Fire and Medical open house to highlight kitchen safety | CPT PPP Coverage

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Avondale Fire and Medical is hosting its annual open house — opening the doors to the community for a fun and educational event. 

In partnership with the National Fire Protection Association and with the topic of kitchen safety at the center of the action, the department is looking forward to the opportunity to interact with the community in a “calm environment.”

“It’s an exciting time for us,” said Sue Anglin, public education specialist for Avondale Fire and Medical. “Usually, we meet members of the community when they could be possibly having the worst day of their life. And we want to meet them on a better day and have a chance to engage with them, share our station with them, open up our house.

“People will be able to see all of our trucks, our new command vehicle that we share with (the police department). So, they’ll be able to see a lot of the ways we protect the community.”

The topic of kitchen safety could seem obscure, but the data supports that it is one of the leading causes of fires in homes, and Avondale is looking to provide a place where the community can learn valuable skills that can help prevent incidents. 

With home cooking coming more frequently due to the holiday season, the department is taking the steps necessary to protect the community before a disaster. 

“Some of the statistics that (the National Fire Protection Association reports), cooking was the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in 2017 to 2021, and the second leading cause of home fire deaths,” Anglin said. “So, cooking caused 44% of all reported home fires, and 18% of all reported home fire deaths.

“Thanksgiving is really the peak day for home cooking fires. And it’s followed closely by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So, with Thanksgiving coming up, we want to highlight everything that (the community) can do to keep your holiday safe.”

At the event, fire station staff will conduct a plethora of tours at one of the newest stations — Fire Station 175. Bringing the community in to see the station, equipment and interact with the staff is something that Anglin feels is beneficial for establishing a positive connection with the community. 

“I think that sometimes people find firefighters a little intimidating, but that is absolutely not true,” she said. “Firefighters are people just like everyone else, and we want to make sure that we foster all of those relationships in our communities, relationships with different organizations and schools and business organizations. 

“That’s why we feel it’s very important to be engaged in the community. And if we get to highlight safety, that’s a great thing.”

Along with the tours, the event features free classes on kitchen safety, fire-themed activities and other family-friendly events to tie the whole event together in an environment that is beneficial for learning and educating. 

“I go into the schools and educate kids, and what I find is in a relaxed atmosphere with fun stuff going on, more learning takes place,” Anglin said. “It’s not a stressful situation. Everyone’s there. Everyone’s having a good time. And more learning happens because of that.” 

If You Go…

WHAT: Fire Prevention Open House Event

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

WHERE: Fire Station 175

12495 W. Van Buren Street, Avondale

COST: Free to attend

INFO: www.firepreventionweek.org