The Elk Rapids Fire Department had an open house on Saturday, and promised exciting demonstrations. A kitchen fire. An escape from a smoke-filled house. Sirens. Off I went. There was a tremendous lot to see and do, and I did it all, but I thought you might be most interested to see for yourself what it would be like to be inside a burning house. Sort of. Rob the Firefighter tells me it is not like this at all, and he should know. Still, it’s the best I can do without hurting myself. Here is your slideshow, complete with a Cub Scout learning to “get wayyyy down and crawl along under the smoke.”
Credit must go to the intrepid volunteers from the Elk Rapids Fire Department for showing us all how to put out kitchen fires and climb into fire trucks and crawl under smoke, and to the Bellaire District Fire Department for lending us the Fire Safety House, which is a pretty nifty display.
Torch Lake Views 
Belinda
October 18, 2011
That’s too funny. Today we had the fire dept. come and talk to the preschool children about keeping safe and they got to sit in the fire truck here in Va. Beach.
Gerry
October 19, 2011
Food for thought. That little Cub Scout was really proud of himself for remembering the lessons and finding his way out of there. Me too.
The parents learned, too, or were reminded. Over and over the volunteers said “Where is your family meeting place?” meaning where has your family decided to gather when escaping from a fire–a place away from the house. Here, where mail is delivered to boxes along the road, the mailbox was a popular choice. A neighbor’s porch. Down on the beach. The Big Rock.
If everyone knows where to meet, no one will risk a life going back into the fire for someone who’s already escaped. If the little kids and moms and dads who were there that day remember nothing else but their meeting place, it will have been a day well spent.
I should’ve put that in the post, huh? Live and learn.
kiwidutch
October 20, 2011
I NEEDED this post… this weekend we will do a fire drill and info on a meeting place. Thanks!
Gerry
October 20, 2011
The Elk Rapids firefighters were a little disappointed because the rainy weather kept the numbers of visitors down. I told ’em it was worth doing if just one little kid remembered the lessons–if just one family planned a meeting place. Who knew it might apply to a little kid in the Netherlands? Thanks for writing.
flandrumhill
October 23, 2011
“If everyone knows where to meet, no one will risk a life going back into the fire for someone who’s already escaped.”
I never thought of that as a reason to have a meeting place. So glad I read this.