The Orland Fire Protection District welcomed hundreds to an open house Saturday at its training center as an early kick off to National Fire Prevention Week, which runs Oct. 9-15.
The community was treated to hands-on firetruck and ambulance tours, firefighter demonstrations, safety tips, food and music.
“We’ve been doing this for 20-plus years, and it’s our first time back since COVID, so this is our opportunity to show off everything we do,” said fire Chief Michael Schofield. “From our dive team to our rescue teams, everybody is happy to be a firefighter here, they’re extremely enthusiastic to talk about it.”
Schofield said, though, the important theme was fire safety, urging everyone to have a fire escape plan in their home. This year’s theme was Fire won’t wait — Plan your escape.
“It’s an important plan that is thought out based on your property and can save lives,” Schofield said. “The Orland Fire District will provide guidance on how this can be done to help the public avoid injuries or worse during fire emergencies.”
The Carns family, from Orland Park, was leaving with a very happy 2-year-old, evident by his dirty hands.
“Oh he’s filthy, he touched everything,” Clay Carns said of his son, Gray. “He touched every single firetruck, the rims, exhaust pipes, the doors, climbing inside, tried to drive them.”
“He’s definitely going to crash later,” Gray’s mother, Meghan, said, as she swaddled their 12 day-old daughter, Ally, who appeared to sleep through the event.
Another adventurous 2-year-old, Stuart Herro, of Orland Park, was climbing a paramedic semi-truck, trying to open the seemingly out of reach door.
“He loves this event,” said his aunt, Taylor Durkin, of Orland Park. “He’s very curious, wants to push all the buttons. Luckily they aren’t turned on. He loves fire trucks, paramedic trucks, anything with wheels.”
Kirstin Kent, of Orland Park, said she was doing “a tour and a checkup” after her nephew, Landon Kent, 3, was stung by a bee. He was being treated by paramedics in the back of an ambulance and appeared to love that experience.
“Yep, a tour and a checkup,” Kent said. “But he is having fun. I think the dogs were his favorite. There was a Dalmatian, he got to see a drug-sniffing dog in action and he liked the therapy dog. Those were his favorites.”
Demonstrations included a rope rescue, diving exercise, a car extrication and controlled fires that were extinguished.
“This gives the community an opportunity to meet the firefighters, see what we do and have a lot of exchange of ideas,” Schofield said.
Hannah Kohut is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.