The Manhattan Fire Department capped off Fire Prevention week with its annual open house Sunday afternoon at fire station Headquarters.
“We have a lot of our really cool special equipment out, we have old Engine One that gives rides, we have some crews doing training evolution so people can see what it’s like when we go into a fire,” said Gregg Van De Creek, MFD fire driver.
Van De Creek added the open house presents a good opportunity to educate the public while building a rapport with the community.
“A lot of people don’t really know what the Fire Department does. Some people think we sit around all day; but in reality, we do a ton of stuff up here. It’s good to show people that and make them feel like they’re apart of this because the people in the City of Manhattan are the ones that own the Fire Department. We work for the City.”
With winter approaching and the temperature steadily dropping, MFD’s Deputy Fire Chief, Ryan Almes said performing general maintenance on the furnace is a must.
“It’s pretty usual that there’s going to be a bit of a smell from dust that gets on the heat exchanger, but in the event that they smell smoke when they turn it on or natural gas, they need to make sure to give the Fire Department a call.”
A working furnace can also prevent a carbon monoxide leak, which is caused by incomplete combustion in appliances running off natural gas and even cars.
Both Van De Creek and Almes said Daylight Saving Time is a perfect opportunity for folks to change the batteries in their smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. If either detector is over 10 years old, it’s time to buy a replacement. Doing so can save lives.
