Safety Fair Sunday October 9, 2011

It’s Safety Fair Time! Games, a coloring contest, a rescue demonstration, food and lots of fun are on the agenda at the Safety Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 9, at the Mullis Street Fire Station. Participating agencies include the San Juan Island Fire Department, San Juan Island Emergency Medical Services, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Firewise and the Red Cross.

Kids’ games include a bean bag toss, 911 twister, shooting the flames with a real fire hose and more. Participants may also use a fire extinguisher to put out a real fire.

A rescue demonstration will be held at noon when emergency workers demonstrate how they operate at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. EMS will use the Jaws-of-Life to cut up a vehicle and will show how efficient a child safety seat is in protecting a child in an accident.

EMS will also provide information about child safety seats and will make arrangements to check anyone’s car seat.

Kids will able to sit in the fire engines, dress in firefighter gear and tour the fire station.

There will also be a coloring contest with prizes for children preschool age through grade 5. Entries must be turned in by 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9, at the Mullis Street Station. Winners will be announced at 2 p.m. The coloring page will be passed out at the
schools during fire prevention week or you may pick them up at the Mullis Street Fire Station.

Emergency workers will also cook a hotdog of your choice – beef, turkey or tofu. Other free goodies include chips, cookies, soda pop and juices.

The Safety Fair is held during Fire Prevention Week each year as a reminder to people about fire safety, in addition to safety and emergency preparedness in general. The 2011 Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 9-15) theme this year is “Protect Your Family From Fire”

Fires can strike anywhere – in buildings, automobiles, and the outdoors – but fire that affect our homes are often the most tragic and most preventable. Over 75 percent of all fire fatalities occur in home fires. You can protect your family by:

  • Installing smoke alarms on every level of your home.
  • Testing smoke alarms once a month.
  • Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year,
  • Making and practicing a home fire escape plan.

For more information about home fire escape plans or other fire safety, please call the San Juan Island Fire Department at 378-5334.