Fire departments to push education, preparation

Fair-goers can learn about fire extinguishers, fire prevention and fire response through a booth and demonstration being planned jointly by the fire departments of Marion County during this year?s fair.

The departments will be joining forces to provide a booth in the fairgrounds Commercial Building around the theme, ?Fire: Are you prepared??

The booth will provide a variety of pamphlets and other materials to educate families on fire prevention and response.

?We?re going to have different information for people on things like stoves and house fires?anything to try to prepare people and help them understand what they need to keep their family safe,? said Leona Hajek on behalf of the organizers.

?That means anything to help people know how to handle a fire, or what they can do to prevent one. That?s what we?re trying to do.?

As part of the education process, fire department personnel will be demonstrating the proper use and care of household fire extinguishers. The demonstrations will begin after the fair parade, which starts at 6:30 p.m. The demonstrations will be offered every half hour to one hour, Hajek said.

The following evening at 7 p.m. the county departments will demonstrate an extrication from a wrecked vehicle. The demonstration will be just outside the Commercial Building, Hajek said.

?As fire departments, we?re trying to get ourselves out there,? Hajek said. ?We want to help people gain the knowledge they need.?

The county departments also will sponsor the fireworks display prior to the championship heat of the Marion County Demolition Derby on Saturday night. The display debuted a year ago to rave reviews.

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