October is Fire Prevention Month across Canada, and Fire Prevention Week was held across Alberta from Oct. 8-15. On Thursday, Oct. 12, Lac La Biche County's Protective Services Department opened its doors to the community for an open-house event with family events, tours of the Protective Services building, equipment displays and a fired-up barbecue grill serving hot dogs.
The open house ran from 4pm to 6:30 pm and attracted a steady stream of visitors, most who walked under the giant Canada flag waving from the top of the ladder truck's 100-foot aerial peak.
Lac La Biche County Fire Rescue Services members gave attendees tours of firetrucks and other vehicles-including the department’s water rescue craft-while explaining how the various types of firefighting equipment work. Furthermore, the County’s ladder truck was on display in the parking lot of the Protective Services building.
The event was not only an opportunity to inform the public about the services offered by Fire Rescue, but also to raise awareness about fire safety and prevention, not only in the home, but also with regards to wildfires. This included the Fire Smart Program, which is designed to educate people about wildfire safety.
Lac La Biche County Fire Rescue has mutual aid agreements with the fire departments of the three First Nations communities, two Métis settlements, and all neighbouring municipalities in the area. This agreement is not only for the purposes of the departments coming to each other’s’ assistance during large emergency events, but also for training firefighters.
The open house also served as a recruitment drive for the local fire department. Information about firefighting and information related to fire-safe programming can be found at the Lac La Biche County website.
