FIRE PREVENTION WEEK AND OPEN HOUSE

October 9th through the 15th is the National Fire Prevention Week and is the traditional chance for firefighters nationwide to get out and visit with their community and spread the fire safety message. Forest Grove was no different, as firefighters visited classrooms and held the annual Open House event on Saturday October 15th to wrap up the festivities.

After fundraising during the spring and summer months we were able to purchase special fire safety work books for the students in our elementary schools. These work books are what our firefighters used when they visited Joseph Gale, Harvey Clarke, and Dilley Elementary Schools during the week of October 9th. All told around 1,000 kids heard our fire safety message that week with everything from firefighters dressed in full protective gear visiting kindergarten and first grade classrooms, to firefighters working closely with students in the 2nd through 4th grade to give them more personal attention and help them through the work book. These special work books were funded through the National Fire Safety Council's Fire Pup Program and were created with age appropriate lessons covering everything from what firefighters do in our community to safety tips to use at home. While at the schools the firefighters didn't just help out in the classroom, they stayed for lunches with the kids and recess fun as well and played a number of pretty intense "wall ball" games during the week!

At the end of the week our Open House was held that showcased not just firefighters, but just about every public service that our neighbors depend on was on hand to share their programs and meet our guests. Forest Grove was well showcased with attendees from Light and Power, Forest Grove Police, The Forest Grove Library, Forest Grove Public Works, and our Parks and Recreation Departments on hand. Our friends from the Washington County Sheriff's Office were also there, as were Clean Water Services, and Metro West Ambulance. We unfortunately were not able to get Lifeflight out for this year's event because of heavy foggy weather at their home station, but that didn't stop over 700 people from stopping by our Forest Grove Station and taking a fire engine ride or going up over 70 feet into the air above downtown in the Light and Power Bucket Truck!

Special thanks to these local businesses and individuals for helping support us and donating money to the Fire Pup Program that provided work books for this year's Fire Prevention Week:

• Forest Grove Kiwanis



• Kem's Woodworking LLC



• Tom & Raean Johnston



• WSC Inc.



• American Legion Post #2



• Ireland & Ireland PC



• TF Draper Company



• Church of Jesus Christ



• Don Hunker



• VanDyke Seed Co.



• Thomas Alexander DDS



• Knights of Pythias



• Forest Grove Beehive



• 7-Eleven



• Forest Grove Grange



• The Homestead Community



• Holbrooke Lodge #30



• David Hill Vineyards



• A&J Electric



• Grand Lodge AF & AM of Oregon



• Ace Hardware