Smoke could be seen rising into the sky during the Fire Prevention Open House at the Barrhead Fire Services on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
The excitement started with free hot dogs, hamburgers, and pop, all courtesy of Freson Bros.
The theme this year was surrounding smoke alarms, and checking them not only during Fire Prevention Week, but every month throughout the year.
Fire Chief John Whittaker offered parents free batteries if they were in need of some for their smoke alarms.
During the event families were welcome to tour the many different trucks that the fire station has, with several of the kids participating on a small tour of the parts of the truck, given by Kyle Merrell, a firefighter with Barrhead Fire Services.
The kids at the event could take a shot at firefighting themselves, with a small wooden house that featured wooden doors that depict fire, which would snap back and be ‘put out’.
Ring toss was also another one of the activities available for the kids who came to the event.
Later in the evening the fire department set a wrecked car on fire, getting the kids excited to see it go up in flames.
After setting the car on fire, Whittaker asked the kids to let him know when they were ready to call the firefighters.
Moments later the windows began to shatter, and the kids decided it was time to put in the call. The firetruck came roaring around the corner and out came four firefighters, all suited up to fight the blaze.
It was out quickly, and the kids were bubbling over with excitement as they made their way back into the hall for the continuation of the door prize draw.
While the kids were waiting for the fire to grow, Whittaker explained how dangerous fires can be, and how important it is to ensure that the smoke alarms in your home are in working order.
It was a full house, with the fire department quickly running out of food and having to make a second run to get more burgers and hotdogs within an hour of the event.
Whittaker said it was great to see all of the community come out and enjoy the night for a good cause.
