Granby's Lost Acres Fire Department Shares Safety Info At Open House

Visitors to Lost Acres Fire Department Saturday not only saw live firefighting and lifesaving demonstrations but also learned about what they can do to prevent fires in their own home.

The all-volunteer firefighter group, led by Wayne Bindas, Lost Acres Fire Department chief, and Dave Demcheck, president of the fire association, performed both a controlled burn of a couch inside a plywood enclosure — demonstrating the quickly spreading nature of smoke and fire — and performed a mock vehicle rescue, shearing the canopy off of a car to demonstrate an automobile rescue.

“Safety is paramount to what we do,” Demcheck said, noting that the safety of both firefighters and residents is extremely important.

Demcheck went on to explain the buddy-team system and that firefighters work with back-up teams to ensure the pledge that as many firemen enter a burning or dangerous structure, the same amount leave.

Part of the open house’s timing had to do with National Fire Safety Week, which promotes awareness and appropriate responses to smoke and fire in the home. The program also focuses on teaching younger children fire safety measures so they know how to respond in the face of a blaze.

As for fires in the home, Demcheck said smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are very important because they often provide the first warning signs that something is wrong. The smoke detector set up as part of the couch burn demonstration was going off only seconds after the fire had been started, showing the audience the effectiveness of the device.

Demcheck spoke to the many children and reinforcing many of the fire safety lessons taught to Granby schoolchildren taught through the department’s school outreach program, giving advice and reinforcing those points.

“We want people to make sure they have a plan,” Demcheck said.

One key point was that kitchens are the most likely place for a fire to start, often due to unattended cooking. Another was that, to escape a fire, people should always stay low and “never stand up,” Demcheck said, also making sure to reference the point that doors and other escape routes should be checked for heat before opening during an escape.

To see what went on at the

For more information, the Lost Acres Fire Department has many age-appropriate materials about fire safety and prevention.