Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
East Brandywine Fire Co. hosts annual Fire Prevention Open House
Firefighters allowed attendees to practice their skills during the event
EAST BRANDYWINE » The East Brandywine Fire Company volunteers opened their doors to the community to host their annual Fire Prevention Open House last Wednesday.
East Brandywine Fire Chief John Edwards said each year a team of volunteers work hard to improve the evening to make it as fun and informative for the kids as possible. This year they added the smoke tunnel, the roof prop and a fire attack demonstration.
“One of the reasons our open house is so successful is the number of different activities we have to engage the kids,” said Assistant Chief Vince D’Amico, who is one of the event organizers. Firefighters noted that the attendance was the largest on record with almost 1,300 residents turning out to support the event.
Kids had the opportunity to participate in various activities, including a dummy drag, ATV rides, an opportunity to extinguish a simulated house fire and more. D’Amico said that Freddie and Sparky, the fire prevention dogs, were a hit sharing important life-saving messages during the Freddie / Sparky Show.
During fire prevention assemblies in October, the firefighters visited the schools in their first due coverage area, which includes two in the Coates-
ville Area School District, one in the Downingtown Area School District and one which is part of the Catholic School System. The assemblies focused on fire prevention tips and other important emergency topics such as how to react in an emergency, how to call 911, and actively understanding escape planning. East Brandywine Deputy Chief Joe Edwards, who oversees the fire prevention program, said the firefighters educate more than 2,500 students on a “variety of topics that could save their lives.”
The firefighters ended the open house with live demonstrations in their training complex at the firehouse at 2096 Bondsville Road. Attendees watched firefighters place ladders against the building to access windows, they forced locked doors to gain access inside the building, cut holes in the roof for ventilation, and advanced hoselines through a smoke-filled structure to rescue a victim, which was a dummy.
East Brandywine firefighters thanked the Chester County Department of Emergency Service and the Chester County HazMat Team for attending the event and sharing valuable information. They also thanked Hopewell Road Pharmacy and Bonds Eye Care for their role as business partners. West Whiteland and Thorndale fire companies attended and assisted East Brandywine with lighting during the event, with the use of their light towers.