The public can get a behind-the-scenes look at the local fire department while enjoying informative demonstrations, interacting with various agencies, and having fun with the kids at Saturday’s Philomath Fire and Rescue Open House and Strengthening Rural Families Health Fair.
The annual event is scheduled to run from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Station 201 on Main Street.
Philomath Fire and Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Rich Saalsaa said the event provides an opportunity for citizens to meet their local firefighters and emergency medical services responders while touring the city’s fire station.
“It also provides an opportunity for other community partners to engage with the public in one place,” Saalsaa said.
Prior to the pandemic, the Philomath Fire and Rescue Open House and Strengthening Rural Families Health Fair had been separate events.
“We decided to combine things together because it fits really well because the fire department is not just fire oriented, it’s EMS (emergency medical services) and health oriented as well,” Saalsaa said. “We have basically one place where our community can come and meet a lot of different people … and also have fun for the kids.”
Saalsaa said the event also gives Philomath Fire and Rescue an opportunity to recruit new volunteers.
In all, Saalsaa said 26 vendors are signed up to participate. Children’s activities include face painting with Party Perfection, arts and crafts and a sculpture vehicle with Maxtivity, pop-up tent and lawn games with Jackson Street Youth Services and of course, the popular fire engine rides and spraying a fire hose with Philomath Fire and Rescue.
“Some of these kids have never been that close to a fire engine so it’s great to see them engaged,” Saalsaa said.
Smokey Bear and the Corvallis Knights mascot are also planning to make an appearance.
Among the demonstrations will be the Oregon Department of Forestry’s burn table and Philomath Public Works will have a sewer demonstration. Plus, there are always other informational opportunities that range from dental care to administering CPR.
The vendor list features three that serve food — Mud Oven Pizza, Chilango Mexican Street Food and El Faro Taqueria.
The open house corresponds with Fire Prevention Week, an annual observance that dates back to 1922. Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of Oct. 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which in October 1871 killed an estimated 300 people, left 100,000 homeless and destroyed more than 17,400 structures.
This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!”
Philomath Fire and Rescue will have sign-up sheets for those who cannot afford smoke detectors and want them installed in their home and also for those interested in having the fire department come to their property for a defensible space survey.
“We go out and actually look at the property and give them ideas on how best to make their house safe, which is a big deal these days,” Saalsaa said. “I’ve done almost 50 of them this year so far.”
