Sep 19, 2016 By Suzanne Elliott 2 min read

Peters Township Fire Department is hoping to draw attention to National Fire Prevention Week through its community open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 1 at its station on East McMurray Road.

“We want to make people aware of the safety message,” said Michael McLaughlin, deputy chief of the 45-man department, which is a combination of salaried and volunteer personnel.

“We enjoy doing this event because it gives families a reason to visit the fire station, have some fun, learn safety initiatives, and see some of the programs their department has to offer,” he said.

National Fire Prevention Week was started in 1922 by President Calvin Coolidge to draw attention to fire safety. The event is held the Sunday of the week in which Oct. 9 falls.

Fire Prevention Week this year runs Oct. 9 through Oct. 14. This year’s theme is about smoke detectors and why it is important to replace them every 10 years.

During the open house, the department will have simulation 911 calls, a kids’ firefighter challenge course, fire extinguisher training and a grill fire demonstration. There will also be home escape plan drawings, a fire safety house, an inflatable bounce, tours of the trucks and station, music, and free hamburgers and hot dogs.

In 2015, there were 1.345 million fires in the United States, which resulted in 3,280 deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that sponsors National Fire Prevention Week. On average, a department responds to a fire call every 23 seconds in the U.S., the association said.

McLaughlin said the Peters Township department responded to 1,247 calls last year.

“This is something that goes on all the time,” he said. “We want people to be aware.”