East Rochester Fire District marks Fire Prevention Week

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The East Rochester Fire Department is spreading awareness during this Fire Prevention Week, which is rolled out every October by the National Fire protection association.

To help spread the knowledge, the East Rochester Fire District welcomed first- and second-graders to the firehouse Wednesday, and pre-kindergarten and kindergarten last week, to teach them about fire safety. That includes the tools that are used to help prevent and stop fires. Those tools include smoke detectors and even fire extinguishers.

East Rochester Fire Chief Jim Diego says they saw about 230 children from East Rochester schools. He says they try to explain to them what the 911 line is used for, emphasizing that it’s for emergencies.

Chief Diego says his favorite part about the event is every second-grader receives a smoke detector that will be good for the next 10 years.

Recently New York State has passed a law saying the new detectors sold in the state should be hardwired or have a sealed, non removeable battery that lasts at least 10 years. So if it’s a 2024 detector, it should be time to replace it in 2034, with period testing making sure it’s working.

The fire chief also adds that with winter coming, it’s important to take the correct safety measures when it comes to fireplaces. His advice is to make sure you have a screen on your fireplace, have a handy extinguisher if you need it, and make sure to have a safe container for the ashes and burnt firewood to dispose of.

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