Idaho Falls Fire Department hosting community block party
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IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Fire Department is hosting its annual Fire Prevention Block Party on Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Station #1 in downtown Idaho Falls.
“It’s been a couple of years since we’ve hosted our block party, so we are excited to bring the event back and interact with our community in a fun and relaxed atmosphere,” says department spokeswoman Kerry Hammon.
Complete with free hot dogs, chips and drinks provided by the Community Food Basket of Idaho Falls, the block celebrates the kickoff of National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week. This year marks 100 years of fire prevention education with a special emphasis on developing a home escape plan and practicing it regularly.
According to the NFPA, a common house fire might only leave one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm goes off. Effective escape plans and practice can mean the difference between life and death.
In addition to the NFPA, the Bonneville County Fire Protection District-Ammon Division, the INL Fire Department, the BLM-Forest Service and Heroes Defense will also be in attendance.
The American Red Cross will be present and offering safety tips of home preparedness, safety plans and smoke detector installation. Children of all ages will be able to enjoy guest appearances by the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy of Idaho’s K9-1 Chaplain Trixie and Rusty the service poodle, as well as free face painting, games, fire engine displays and more.
Here are some tips to take to quickly and safely escape a fire:
- Draw a map of the rooms in your home.
- Mark two exists from each room. Mark a path from each exit to the outside.
- Include the location of all smoke alarms.
- Choose a safe outside meeting place where everybody can meet up.
- Add 911 to your plan. Call that number from your neighbor’s phone or a cell phone once you are outside.
- Practice your escape twice a year.