JAMESVILLE – With an open house on Oct. 23, the Jamesville Fire Department offered the public an inside glimpse into how it operates and the tasks its members have to handle.
The family-friendly event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the station located at 6661 E. Seneca Turnpike.
Over those four hours there were rides on the fire engines, hose line lessons, blood pressure readings, drills showing the steps to take in the case of a stove or oven fire, and demonstrations of how quickly a Christmas tree can go up in flames if not properly watered.
“It all went really well,” said Lucretia Campbell-Klish, the emergency medical services captain and president of the department. “We had a lot more people than we had expected.”
Attendees could also see how to crawl down and navigate a smoke-filled room as well as how heavy a mannequin the size of an average human could be when they attempted to drag it.
Chris Ruddy, a Cub Scout leader for Jamesville-DeWitt Pack 22, said he and his son stopped by after a den meeting down the road. Ruddy said the open house was important in that it exhibited a day in the life of a firefighter.
“It’s awesome they’re doing this for the community and especially for the kids to show what the firefighters have to prepare for,” he said.
The department members also had the cotton candy machine spinning as they served up hamburgers, hot dogs and bags of popcorn. Handouts included volunteer applications, frisbees, plastic fire helmets, color-changing cups, and medication slips to keep in a safe place and use if someone is unconscious.
The open house has taken place annually at the fire house, but it was advertised more this year according to one member, resulting in the largest single turnout she could recall.