ECFD holds open house to spread awareness

EL CENTRO — National Fire Prevention Week kicked off this past weekend and the El Centro Fire Department Station 3 provided information and awareness for the community Saturday.

ECFD Fire Engineer Jason Bandaruk said, “We are trying to educate the public and do community outreach from little kids to adults. We want to show the public what we do and how to be safe when encountering a fire.”

The department provided information to adults in hopes they share the information with children.

ECFD Chief Ken Herbert said, “Fire prevention is everyone’s concern, and the fire department runs over 4,000 calls every year … a lot of the fires we respond to are preventable.

We want to educate the community to help prevent fires by showing people what can cause a fire and how to stop them if one goes off.”

Equipment is a good tool to extinguish fires, but knowledge helps prevent them.

“It is a lack of awareness. Many people don’t know they can go to a hardware store and buy a fire extinguisher,” Herbert said. “Many people don’t know what can start a fire. For example, when you buy a new home normally your water heater is set at a medium range. Well, that medium range can cause a fire and most people don’t know that.”

Some children have an interest in being firefighters, so for parents, Saturday’s event was an opportunity to show their children the work environment. In return, they received more than just a tour of the fire department.

“My son has an interest in being a firefighter, so I wanted him to see what it’s like inside the fire department and what these individuals do,” said Veronica Ramirez who attended the event with her son. “I feel this was useful because you get to see what it is like to be a firefighter and what they go through on a daily basis. I learned how hard it is to be a firefighter and the regions of the Imperial Valley they are responsible for protecting.”

By opening the Fire Department to the community,

Carlos Lizarraga showing a local through infrared light. ANDY VELEZ

locals got an inside view of the department, and they got to bond with some of El Centro’s first

his heart rate by using a Pulse Oximeter that measures oxygen levels and checks your heart

responders.

“I received a flyer from the elementary school, and I think it is a good way for the children to interact with the local fire department,” said Vicente Aguilar, who attended the event with his family. “This event is important because it brings the community together and

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families can interact with their children. All while learning the importance of fire awareness.”