New Kensington fire department hosting open houses at all 5 companies - TribLIVE

About an hour ago

All five New Kensington fire companies will host open houses Tuesday in observance of October as Fire Prevention Month.

Residents are invited to tour the stations with their children, Assistant Chief Matt Sobecki with Company No. 1 said.

Open houses will run from 6-8 p.m. Station locations are Company No. 1, 785 Fourth Ave.; Company No. 2, 422 Freeport St.; Company No. 3, 1045 Victoria Ave.; Company No. 4, 1710 Seventh St.; and Company No. 5, 556 Camp Ave.

Firefighters will show their equipment and gear, conduct fire prevention programs and have giveaways for kids, Sobecki said.

City residents will be able to see what they pay for, Sobecki said.

“We just want the public to be informed,” he said. “Understand we’re volunteers, most of all. Even though they pay for fire protection, we’re not paid firemen. We’re all volunteers.”

While the companies have held open houses in the past, this is the first time they’ve been at all five at the same time, Sobecki said. The department had considered a large display in a single location, but covid-19 dashed those plans.

“We don’t want everybody to think the only time they’ll see us is at a fire scene,” Sobecki said.

The National Fire Prevention Association observed Fire Prevention Week Oct. 4-10. Fire safety in the kitchen was theme for this year’s event, which the association has sponsored for more than 95 years.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, according to the association. Nearly half of all U.S. home fires are caused by cooking.

According to the association’s report, about 173,000 cooking fires happen in homes each year, resulting in 550 deaths, 4,820 injuries and more than $1 billion in property damage. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires and deaths.

When it comes to kitchen fire safety, Sobecki said they’ll stress what to do if there is a fire on a stove — such as not throwing water on a grease fire and instead smother it with a lid, and to get out if it’s too bad to fight.

“We stress to parents and kids that you can always replace a house and you can always get more toys, but we can’t get another you,” he said.

Abandoned buildings are a fire issue in New Kensington, Sobecki said. The city marks abandoned buildings with a red “X” if they are unsafe for firefighters to enter.

New Kensington firefighters recently attended a class to teach them to notice signs an abandoned house may be a fire hazard — such as covered windows or an extension cord stealing power from a neighbor, signs that someone is inside and could pose a fire risk.

The city has about 100 volunteer firefighters across its five companies. They are always recruiting; adults can do more than fight fires, such as helping with fundraising, and there is a junior firefighter program for children starting at age 14.

“There’s many benefits to being a firefighter,” Sobecki said. “If nothing else, you help your city. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Brian at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch

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New Kensington fire department hosting open houses at all 5 companies - TribLIVE

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