Great Chicago Fire of 1871
Coronado, CA (September 27, 2011) – One day each year, the usually busy streets surrounding Coronado’s main fire house on Sixth Street near D Avenue are closed to vehicle traffic for much of the day while thousands of residents attend the Coronado Fire Department’s Open House during Fire Prevention Week.
This year’s Open House is set for Sunday, October 2.
But what began as a way to focus on fire safety and lessons learned from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 has turned into a larger public safety expo, with the Coronado Fire Department at the center of things.
“More people know about it and want to be part of it,” said Coronado Fire Department Open House organizer Brandon Matey, a firefighter.
Among participating fire agencies this year are the Bureau of Land Management, Naval Base Coronado, Imperial Beach and California Department of Forestry. Law enforcement agencies representing Coronado Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department and San Diego Harbor Police also will be on hand.
Coronado lifeguards bring out their popular dunk tank to serve up lessons in water safety. Fire and police personnel conduct demonstrations, including a helicopter “fly-by.”
In addition, agencies from around the county will occupy resource booths. Members of the Coronado Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, will talk about how to be prepared for disaster. The Coronado Emergency Radio Operators will provide demonstrations.
Matey said the purpose of the Open House is to educate attendees about what fire and other public safety officials do on a daily basis, and during emergencies. For example, fire fighters show how they can cut people out of cars when accidents trap them inside. Public safety officials also will provide residents with information to help prevent fires at home and to protect their families.
The Oct. 8, 1871, Great Chicago Fire, one of the largest disasters in American history, changed the way people thought about fire safety. The anniversary is now observed as a way to keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention and generally falls within Fire Prevention Week.
The Fire Department Open House runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s a family-friendly day with activities for children, such as face-painting and a coloring contest. Hot dogs are free while supplies last and musical entertainment will be provided.
The transition to a public-safety event makes sense as most routine calls firefighters receive are not fires. Often, the calls are emergencies that involve many other agencies.
Fire Chief Mike Blood said of the approximately 1,850 calls for service firefighters received last year, about 66 percent of them were medical aids.
“Our fire fighters do more than just put out fires,” Blood said. “They are out there daily in the community responding to many different types of emergencies. That’s why this event has expanded to include all public safety personnel. All of us serve this community. This is a great opportunity to show our citizens that we are all there for them.”
Despite the growth of the Fire Department Open House, at its heart is fire safety.
“Whenever we’re out in the community, we are always asked questions about what we do,” Matey said. “We try to do that whenever we’re out. Our main goal is to educate the public about what we do. With the Open House, we can show a lot of people what we do.”
Who: Coronado Fire Department
What: Fire Department Open House
When: Oct. 2, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: 1001 Sixth Street
News Release from Janine Zúñiga, Senior Management Analyst, City of Coronado
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