When the open house began, the biggest attraction to the kids was a bouncy house, but when smoke started to escape out of a nearby building, the bouncy house suddenly lost its appeal.

“My son was excited,” said Ryan Marshall, who attended the open house. “He came home with a little paper from school and his friends were going to be here, so he wanted to come and check it out.”

On Saturday, Oct. 12, Fire District 3 hosted an open house to give kids a chance to go inside a firetruck and play in a bouncy house, but, most importantly, to demonstrate what to do in case of a fire.

“It’s a great chance for the kids to really get to see what the firemen do,” Allie Cote said, adding that this is the third year she’s gone to the open house with her son.

Firefighters first demonstrated how to put out a grease fire and what could go wrong.

“It’s awareness,” said Assistant Chief Theodore Borges. “You don’t want to throw water on a grease fire … and you don’t want to use a fire extinguisher either.”

After the grease fire was put out, Borges showed kids the gear firefighters wear and explained how firefighters enter a burning building, placing emphasis on the importance of teamwork.

“The purpose of this is to show the kids that when firefighters show up … with all that gear on not to be frightened,” Borges said. “He’s there to help them and save them.”

Smoke billowed out of windows and doors in the practice building behind Borges while he explained the purposes of the gear, and as the smoke worsened, a fire truck siren blared and soon several firefighters were on the scene.

The team entered the smoke-filled building as flames leaped out a window, a dummy was recovered and soon the flames were gone.

“I know the kids get a big kick out of seeing the firefighters going into the smoke and when we open up the window they actually see the fire,” Borges said.

The purpose of the open house isn’t to entertain kids, but to raise awareness, he added. 

“I think it’s fantastic,” Cote said. “It’s really an eye opening experience for the kids to see what a real fire is like and what the firemen have to do to help the community.”