Prince George, B.C. – Prince George Fire Rescue will be preaching the importance of fire safety in October.

Fire Prevention Month starts this Saturday with an open house at Fire Hall #2 at 5^th Avenue and Ospika (10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.).

“That event is basically just an information session,” says Chief Fire Prevention Officer Marcel Profeit.

“We’ll have displays of our different public education tools like the Hazard House that we take to elementary schools and show kids in kindergarten through grade three. We’re also going to have things for the kids like a maze for them to crawl though to stay low. So it should be a fun few hours.”

He says they’ll also be busy handing out fire safety lesson material and entry forms early in the month for a chance for kids to participate in their “Fire Chief for a Day” contest.

“And we draw one name from each of the four response areas in our department and those kids are brought to Fire Hall #1 on Saturday October 15 where they get their pictures taken, get a certificate and a tour of the hall and trucks.”

Profeit says the winners will also be taken to the McDonalds on Victoria Street where they’ll meet up with all the Volunteer Fire Departments around the region.

He says the rest of the month they hope to “create some buzz” around fire alarm protection.

Called “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years,” Profeit says the idea is to raise awareness.

“Especially in the fall when we’re getting ready for winter and we have extra heating options with space heaters or chimneys and fire places. So we just want to get as much information out as we can.”