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Teaching the community about fire safety

Fire truck tours, vehicle extraction demonstrations, and a firefighter meet and greet were just some of the activities families enjoyed during the annual Fire Prevention Open House.
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Capt. Craig Wenzel handed out carbon monoxide detectors during the open house.

Fire truck tours, vehicle extraction demonstrations, and a firefighter meet and greet were just some of the activities families enjoyed during the annual Fire Prevention Open House.


Hundreds of residents gathered at the Bonnyville Fire Hall to learn about fire safety, get to know their local firefighters, and explore the firehouse on Tuesday, Oct. 9.


“(It) was about education in fire prevention. It’s also a chance for the community to meet all the volunteer firefighters,” explained regional training and fire prevention officer, Capt. Dwayne Ethier.


The event has always been well attended, with the fire department enjoying the growth it’s seen.


“It’s grown, grown, and grown. Every year we’ve done it... We average anywhere from 1,100 to 1,300 people who come through here in a three and a half hour period,” Ethier noted.


Tessa Hetu attended the open house because of the importance of knowing about fire prevention, while also encouraging her son’s love for all things related to the fire station.


“My little boy, Beau, is very excited about firefighters and fire trucks,” explained Hetu, adding Beau wants to be a firefighter when he grows up, even attending the event in a firefighter costume.


The Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) hosts the open house as part of their Fire Prevention Week, and uses it as an outlet to reach as much of the community as they can.


“Unfortunately, when most people meet firefighters it’s usually because they’re in trouble, or hurt, or something like that. (This event) is a time for them to come and meet us as people, and see that we’re not different from anyone else. We’re not anything special; we’re not superheroes or anything like that, we’re no different than any other citizen in the community,” expressed Ethier.


Bonnyville firefighter Steven Goerzen said, “(It’s an opportunity) to show good faith in the community, it’s given a lot to me and I’d like to give back to it. It’s a good thing. I mean who doesn’t want to be a firefighter?”


The event also allows interested residents to ask questions about volunteering, and find out what’s required in order to become a firefighter.


“If they want to spend the time to become a firefighter, they’re more than welcome to join the department as we provide all the training,” Ethier said.


For more photos, go to our gallery.
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