GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - October is Fire Prevention Month. And, the Grand Rapids Fire Department wants to make sure the community is prepared in case of a fire.
GRFD is inviting the community to visit fire stations Wednesday, October 17th, from 6 - 8 p.m., as part of Fire Prevention Month activities across the state. The community open houses are great opportunities for residents to stop by a local fire station to meet their neighborhood firefighters and learn about the importance of fire prevention.
Each station's open house will feature:
- Fire apparatus displays
- Fire gear demonstrations
- Residential Safety Program registration
- Giveaways, including coloring books, hats and fire safety literature
- Drinks and snacks
The Kalamazoo Avenue station also will feature the fire safety trailer. The vehicle is used to educate the community on home safety practices and escape plans.
The open house locations are:
- Bridge Street Fire Station, 500 Bridge St. NW
- Burton Street Fire Station, 2941 Burton St. SE
- Chester Street Fire Station, 1002 Chester St. SE
- Covell Avenue Fire Station, 1154 Covell Ave. NW
- Division Avenue Fire Station, 1734 Division Ave S.
- Franklin Street Fire Station, 115 Franklin St. SW
- Kalamazoo Avenue Fire Station, 2541 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
- LaGrave Avenue Fire Station, 38 LaGrave Ave. SE
- Leonard Street Fire Station, 1755 Leonard St. NE
- Monroe Avenue Fire Station, 1181 Monroe Ave. NW
- Plainfield Avenue Fire Station, 2251 Plainfield Ave. NE
"This year's official fire prevention theme is, Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere," Chief Lehman said. "This is a reference to the fact that homes burn faster than ever before and residents may have as little as two minutes or less to safely escape a typical home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Having working smoke detectors in the home, planning an escape route and practicing the plan with the family are critical."
Chief Lehman encourages homeowners to sign up for the department's free Residential Safety Program, which provides fire safety education and, if needed, fire crews install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in owner-occupied homes at no cost.
To schedule a free home safety assessment or alarm installation, call 311 or 616.456.3000.
Since 2013, GRFD has conducted home safety assessments in more than 9,000 homes and has installed more than 52,000 smoke alarms and 3,800 carbon monoxide alarms.
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