Aurora Regional Fire Museum kicks off Fire Prevention Week at First Fridays

The Aurora Regional Fire Museum will kick off Fire Prevention Week a few days early as part of Aurora Downtown's First Fridays event with an open house featuring activities for children, information for parents on safety, as well as a variety of local artists and vendors.

The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at 53 N. Broadway. All activities are free, while supplies last.

Activities in honor of Fire Prevention Week include:

• Children can color their own fire helmet and fire safety bookmark to take home.

• New York Life Insurance will be on hand to provide Child Safety ID kits for all parents to have in case of an emergency. New York Life's Child ID Program is designed to help children learn how to stay safe in the home, at play, or wherever they happen to be. In only three to five minutes, a free Child ID Kit is printed for each parent or guardian. These include a child's photo, fingerprints, contact information, and other pertinent data needed by the police in case of an emergency.

• First Alert, the leading brand in fire safety, will provide educational materials and activity sheets on the importance of whole home safety.

Also included, will be a raffled basket of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and other safety products.

In addition to these activities, the museum will feature local artists and vendors as part of their Pop Up Shops.

This month will include everything from jams and baked goods to handmade signs. Vendors include: Splinter and Things, BoogieBean Boutique, Kiddie Capes, A Little Something Sweets, Ursula Naturals, Moondragora, Young Living Wellness, Short Bench Woodworks, The Cookie Garden, and Covered in Chocolate.

"Collaborations like this with local artists and area businesses allow the museum to engage with the community in new and exciting ways. First Fridays provides the perfect platform and audience to try new concepts and forge new relationships," said Brian Failing, the fire museum's executive director.

Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 8 through 14 and has been sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association since 1922, when the commemoration began. It is observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which Oct. 9 falls, in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began Oct. 8, 1871, and did most of its damage on Oct. 9.

For more information about this event or the museum, contact Brian Failing, executive director, at (630) 256-4141 or ed@auroraregionalfiremuseum.org.