Fremont Fire Department open house set for Sunday

The Fremont Fire Department will kick off Fire Prevention Week with an open house from 1 to 3 Sunday afternoon. 
 
“We really want to thank the people for their support,” FFD Chief Todd Bernt said. “We want everyone to come see what we do and visit with the firefighters.”
 
Bernt said there will be fun and educational things for families to do, including activities from the Fremont Parks and Recreation Department. Mascot Firepup will also be on hand to greet children.
 
“We’ll have all of our trucks out for the kids to jump into the seats and see what we do,” he said. “We’ll have the Fremont/Dodge County Communications Center dispatchers here to talk to the kids. The Fremont Police Department will be here with their big MRAP truck and cruiser while the State Patrol will be here with their seatbelt safety simulator to show the importance of wearing a seatbelt.”
 
Bernt said the open house traditionally coincides with the start of Fire Prevention Week. 
 
“We just want to promote fire safety,” the chief said. “We’ll also be giving away a free fire extinguisher that was donated by Municipal Emergency Services. Everyone that comes can register for that and have a chance to win a fire extinguisher for their home.”
 
“Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety” is the theme for Fire Prevention Week. 
 
“It talks about the importance of smoke detectors and knowing what the sounds from the smoke detectors mean,” Bernt said. 
 
For example, if there are three beeps going off it means that there is smoke so get out of the house and call 911. If you hear chirp every 30 to 60 seconds, that means the battery is running down and needs to be replaced. If you replace the battery and it is still chirping, that signifies that the smoke detector has gone bad and needs to be replaced. 
 
Bernt said his staff is excited about the event. 
 
“We’re just looking forward to seeing the community on Sunday,” he said.