Harrison Township Fire Department hosts open house for public

PHILO, Ohio-  As fire prevention week wraps up another fire department pulled out the works to show its citizens what they do.

The Harrison Township Fire Department hosted an open house for the community. The Open House was in collaboration with Philo United Methodist Church and gave the public an opportunity to get up close and personal with their rescue crews and their equipment. Assistant Fire Chief Jarrod Blake says events like this are good for both the public and the department.

“The most important thing is just have a good working relationship with everybody in the community. Let them come down and see what we do. That way when they see us out there doing something they’re not wondering ‘why are they doing that’ or ‘why are they doing this’? That way they understand how our job works. And in an emergency to know that we need them to stay back a certain distance so that we can do our job.”

The community was able to participate in rounds of tug-of-war, get their face painted, and practice rolling up a fire hose. They also got to watch the firefighters demonstrate how the jaws of life work and watch a K-9 demonstration by the Sheriff’s Office. While the day was filled with fun, the firefighters also stressed the importance of fire safety and prevention. They say children should never handle matches and heat warmers shouldn’t be left attended and should not be around curtains. And most importantly, know what to do in the case of a fire.

“Always have a plan. Always have an escape plan. Review it with your family. Have a meeting place out front.”

In addition to the activities, the Red Cross was onsite at the church taking donations for blood.