Buffalo Grove Fire Department hosts open house Saturday

The Buffalo Grove Fire Department will be hosting its 20th annual Fire Department Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Fire Department Headquarters Station, 109 E. Deerfield Parkway.

The event will feature demonstrations of vehicle extrication and a side-by-side sprinkler burn unit, as well as hands-on fire extinguisher training for adults and the junior firefighter challenge, which includes a fire pole and the Kids Fire Safety Smoke House. Other highlights include fire department equipment displays, puppet shows, and an appearance by the Flight for Life helicopter, along with free hot dogs and chips.

The department is holding the open house to kick off National Fire Prevention Week, which runs from Oct. 4-10 this year. Each year, more than 3,000 people die and over 21,000 people are injured in fires. Although there has been some progress in preventing fires, these death and injury rates are two to three times higher than those rates found in Western Europe and Japan. The most significant tragedy about these rates is that almost all of these fires are preventable.

For more information, call the Buffalo Grove Fire Department Public Education Division at (847) 777-6110.