Get tips on fire safety during open house at Lisle Station No. 1

Not everyone can grow up to be a firefighter.

For those who missed out, Lisle-Woodridge Fire District is sponsoring several events for Fire Prevention Week that will provide some insight.

The week's activities run through Saturday.

The annual open house is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Station No. 1, 1005 School St., downtown Lisle. It's an opportunity to check out the equipment, tour the station, watch rescue demonstrations and pose children in fire gear for photos.

If that isn't cool enough, there also will be games, refreshments and educational displays. Visitors also can avail themselves of blood pressure checks or face painting.

Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital employees will be on hand to properly fit children ages 10 and older for bicycle and skateboard helmets.

Seniors will want to learn about the "Remembering When" program and the opportunity to have a smoke detector installed in their home.

This year's theme is "Practice Your Escape Plan." No matter how large or small your family, it's important to have and practice an effective emergency plan, which should include two ways out of every room; working smoke alarms; and an outside meeting place.

In a fire emergency, experts say to leave the house first, close the door to prevent the fire from spreading and then call 911. Your family should decide on a safe meeting place outside the home where you can gather.

If there are infants, older adults or people with special needs, someone should be assigned to assist them in the practice and in an emergency.

"It is great to draw a plan up, but the key is to practice it," said Lt. Jay Caron, Lisle-Woodridge Fire District public education officer. "People that practice it are the safest."

Typically, emergency help arrives within three to five minutes in Lisle, Caron said.

"People also should not forget CO detectors, and the new state law requires one within 15 feet of every sleeping area," Caron said.

"If you have three sleeping areas and you can put one detector in the hallway within the 15 feet, you're OK. But people are forgetting they may have a teen sleeping in a basement room and you need a second detector there."

If in doubt, firefighters will answer questions at the open house or make a home safety check at a homeowner's request, Caron said.

The top cause of home fires and injuries, meanwhile, is cooking. Caron says it's important never to leave cooking unattended.

Caron recommends two practical ideas to prevent a kitchen fire. He suggests purchasing an inexpensive timer to leave at the stove and then to set it for 15 minutes when cooking. If you're distracted, the alarm will remind you something needs attention.

Another trick is to throw a kitchen towel over your shoulder -- in Emeril Lagasse style -- as a constant reminder you have something on the stove.

Knowing what to do in the event of a fire is particularly important for older adults. At age 65, people are twice as likely to be killed or injured by fire compared to the rest of the population.

"Remembering When" is a program designed to help older adults.

Caron wants residents to know firefighters are regular people who are prepared to solve problems, whether they involve storing hazardous materials or extinguishing a house fire.

Also this week, Lisle firefighters will join several surrounding districts to sponsor the 13th annual Silent Parade honoring firefighters and civilians who have lost their lives due to fire. The parade will pass through Lisle about 7:20 p.m. Friday.

The route begins in Hinsdale and proceeds along Maple/Chicago Avenue. There are no flashing lights and no sirens out of respect for firefighters and civilians who were killed in fires.

Residents are encouraged to line Maple Avenue from the east. The parade will turn south on Route 53 from Maple to Trinity Lutheran Church, 1101 Kimberly Way, where a memorial service will be at 7:45 p.m.

The guest speaker is Chief Andy O'Donnell, president of the Illinois Fire Chief's educational and research foundation.

Fire Prevention Week draws our attention to the men and women who keep our communities safe from fire all year long. For details on any fire prevention offering, call (630) 353-3030.