Many of the Parksville and Qualicum Beach area’s fire departments held open houses on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 14 and 15 as part of Fire Prevention Week, which ran Oct. 8-14.
The Bow Horn Bay Volunteer Fire Department held a chili competition, as well as a firefighter challenge where members of the public could suit up, raise a ladder, use a fire hose, pull a (fake) body and use the jaws of life on a bar of metal, all while being timed.
The Qualicum Beach Fire Department had various activities for kids, including putting out a fire and using a fire hose. Firefighters also put on demos, including an in-air rope rescue.
In Parksville Sunday, the PVFD offered fire truck rides, gave kids a chance to tackle a “burning” house with a fire hose and provided safety information. The department also welcomed members of the B.C. Ambulance Service, who performed their own demos and provided information, and the RCMP Community Safety Volunteers, who performed safety checks on children’s car seats.
Also on Sunday, Errington Volunteer Fire Department hosted an open house, car wash and hot dog barbecue. It featured tours of the hall and trucks, training demos by firefighters and a pan fire youths could tackle using a fire extinguisher. The Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department also hosted its open house Sunday, offering plenty of activities for youth and families and demos including the use of “Jaws of Life” and other equipment for extracting automobile accident victims.
