The Garden City Fire Department has announced it will be holding its Annual Fire Prevention Day and Open House on Sunday, October 3rd at Fire Headquarters on Stewart Avenue in the Village Hall Complex. The activities begin at noon.

The event beings with a dedication of the fire department’s new fire engine. Following the dedication will be a full dress inspection of the fire department by the Board of Trustees. This year there will be several demonstrations pertaining to fire service and prevention.

“Those who attend the open house will see demonstrations on this year’s theme, “It’s Fire Prevention Week: Test Your Smoke Alarms,” which will highlight the importance of installing and maintaining smoke alarms in the home,” noted the event coordinator, Assistant Chief Jim Meehan.

“Smoke alarms are the most effective early warning device available for the home. Since they were introduced to consumers in the 1970s, they have helped to reduce the home fire death rate by one half. Even though they are now widely popular, roughly 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms,” Chief Meehan said.

Fires can spread through a home rapidly, and in some cases, individuals may have as little as two minutes to escape to safety once the alarm sounds. The Garden City Fire Department encourages residents to keep smoke alarms working and to leave immediately when the smoke alarm sounds.

In addition, the Garden City Fire Department will be helping residents to develop a home fire escape plan at the open house. Residents will learn to identify escape routes in the home and to choose an outside meeting place where everyone can gather after they’ve escaped.

Here are some key smoke alarm installation and maintenance tips:

• Install at least one smoke alarm on every level of the home and outside each separate sleeping area.

• Mount smoke alarms on ceilings or high walls.

• Test smoke alarms once a month, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Replace batteries once a year or as soon as the device “chirps,” indicating that the batter is low.

• Replace all smoke alarms after 10 years, even those that are hard wired or smoke alarms with “long-life” (10-year) batteries. Smoke alarms with “long-life” (10-year) batteries also need to be replaced when the alarm “chirps” or fails to respond to periodic testing. The batteries in these units cannot be replaced.

• Alarms that are hard-wired to the home’s electrical system should be installed by a qualified electrician.

“Children at the event will be able to see the firefighting equipment and trucks up close,” continued Chief Meehan, “and will even be able to ‘work’ a real fire hose, receiving a souvenir photo to take home.”

“For all of our neighbors participating in the day’s activities,” concluded Assistant Chief Meehan, “there will be fire prevention and safety giveaways, informational brochures and, of course, refreshments will be served at our free barbeque. But most of all, they will have fun while getting an incredible fire prevention education.”