Parkes firefighters will open the doors to the local station on Saturday, May 18 for the Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Open Day, inviting people to learn more about the services they provide.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A feature of the day will be live demonstrations and tours of the station.
The open day will run from 10am until 2pm.
During the day fire officers will be delivering a range of free activities including firefighting demonstrations, station tours and safety presentations.
"They'll be live rescue demonstrations with two cars to cut up here," retained firefighter Cameron Lawrence said.
"There'll also be door entries, we are actually going to show the people how we gain entry into a structure fire safely.
"And there'll be activities for the kids, the fire truck will be out for the kids to have a go on, we are going to set up hoses so kids can have a go on the hose too," Cameron said.
Of the 18 fire brigade members retained in Parkes 10 will be on duty during the day.
They might even hand out a few tips on cooking the perfect snag at the free sausage sizzle on offer.
Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner, Paul Baxter said Open Day was an opportunity to show people that firefighters do so much more than fight fires.
"Our firefighters do fight fires and save people from burning buildings, but our mission and our capabilities extend far beyond fire response," he said.
"From road crashes, hazardous material incidents and natural disasters to urban search and rescue and humanitarian relief, our firefighters are prepared for anything and ready to help anyone, anytime, anywhere."
Commissioner Baxter said Open Day was also a great time to talk to the experts about home fire safety in the lead up to winter.
"We see a 10% increase in the number of home fires during the winter months, with more fires starting in bedrooms and lounge rooms due to things like heaters and electric blankets," he said.
Ahead of the open day and with the weather turning cold retained officer Lawrence reminds local residents this time of year smoke detectors are critical.
Officer Lawrence is also warning residents to purchase wisely when buying a new electric blankets and to keep your clothes away from a fire.
"Make sure you buy quality electric blankets and don't leave them on unattended," he said.
"And make sure you keep your clothes away from fires. A good rule to remember is 'a metre from the heater'."
"Keep looking when cooking, don't leave your cooking unattended on the stove.
"Plus going into winter, report if you are going to have a bonfire," officer Lawrence said.
Also making news:
