Open house

draws crowds

Meeting the North Whidbey Fire and Rescue District volunteers and having an opportunity to check out all their cool equipment, what could be better?

Not much, but when you include free hot dogs, lemonade and pop corn, throw in rescue demonstrations where firefighters rip up old cars with the Jaws of Life to rescue people, and toss Smokey the Bear into the mix, then it’s sort of like going to a carnival.

That is just what the Heller Road fire station looked like with fire equipment, the Island County Sheriff’s Office and the fire district’s rescue boats, information booths and hands-on demonstrations placed around the parking lot surrounded by emergency services personnel and throngs of smiling kids and their parents.

Monday evening was the annual North Whidbey Fire and Rescue open house and the turnout was tremendous. In fact, so many people partook of the free meal there wasn’t enough table room and some folks ended up sitting on the floor of the garage where the fire trucks are usually parked.

No matter, excitement was burning like a house afire and the smiles on diners’ faces made sitting on the cement A-OK.

Kids were enjoying themselves crawling around on the fire trucks and ambulances wearing their red, plastic fire helmets, and parents had the opportunity to talk with the volunteers and discover what their various jobs really entail.

“We have a really good turnout of people tonight,” Fire Chief Marv Koorn said.

There was a little bit of everything for people to take in, including free information handouts on water safety, courtesy of the Sheriff’s Office and demonstrations on how to extinguish small kitchen fires.

Ashley Sellers from Oak Harbor, den leader for Cub Scout Pack 4059, said she had four members of her pack at the open house. The kids were amazed to watch Sellers create billows of smoke with a fire extinguisher and put out a fire one of the volunteers had set in an old stove.

“The kids are having fun and learning some things,” Sellers said.

Children also had a good time crawling around in the Kids Safety House while learning what to do should they be trapped in a smoke-filled house.

Monday’s get-together was the first of several open houses planned at fire stations around the area.

On Monday, Sept. 15, open houses will be held at the Troxell Road and Monroe Landing stations and on Monday, Sept. 22, the Taylor Road and Zylstra Road stations will have their open houses.

On Monday, Sept. 29, Silver Lake and San De Fuca stations will be hosts and the final open house will be Monday, Oct. 6 at Polnell Shores.

All of the open houses begin at 6 p.m. and people are invited for a free meal and a meet-and-greet session with their local emergency service volunteers.