CCFD to hold Open House at all stations Saturday
By CJ HADDAD
The Cape Coral Fire Department will hold open houses at all of its station locations Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, providing visitors the opportunity to tour the facilities, meet their local firefighters and become educated on safety measures and equipment.
“The annual Open House is a fun and exciting way for us to engage the community,” said CCPD Fire Chief Ryan W. Lamb in a prepared statement. “Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the different aspects of the CCFD, our all-hazards response capabilities, and our commitment to the well-being of people in our community. We look forward to welcoming everyone at all of our fire stations on November 3.”
Each station will have specialized topics pertaining to fire, water and other safety measures.
The stations and their educational experiences are as follows:
* Station 1, 4610 Coronado Parkway. The “Save a Life Station” will have OneBlood onsite accepting blood donations as well as the Gulf Coast Humane Society with adoptable dogs.
* Station 2, 701 Nicholas Parkway. The “Water Safety Station” will showcase the CCFD’s marine and dive equipment, CCPD will have their personal watercraft on display, and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary mascot, Coastie, will be in attendance.
* Station 3, 1627 Everest Parkway. The “CCPD Station” will have SWAT and K-9 demonstrations and an opportunity to meet Cape Coral Police Chief Dave Newlin.
* Station 4, 2007 Santa Barbara Boulevard. The “Junior Firefighter Station” allows kids to don gear and navigate firefighter obstacles such as crawling through a smoky tunnel, using a hose, and climbing a ladder. Visitors can also meet Fire Chief Ryan Lamb.
* Station 5, 1029 Diplomat Parkway. The “Wildland Safety Station” is where guests can see the CCFD’s monster brush truck, a Florida Forest Service bulldozer and transport truck, and a Lee County Mosquito Control District (LCMCD) helicopter. Visitors can also meet Smokey Bear and learn about insects with LCMCD.
* Station 6, 4540 Chiquita Parkway. The “Vehicle Safety Station” will have a Florida Highway Patrol squad car, vehicle extrication demonstrations, and car seat checks with SafeKids.
* Station 7, 3942 Burnt Store Road N, and Station 10, 3623 Gator Circle West, will have CCFD Open House activities.
* Station 8, 707 SW 1st Street. The “Lee County EMS Station” will have an ambulance and the LeeFlight helicopter for guests to tour.
* Station 9, 4107 Pelican Boulevard. The “Child Safety Station” will have an inflatable fire safety smoke house for guests to explore, face painting, and kids fingerprinting and 911 for kids with CCPD.
“We work so closely with so many public safety agencies, it makes sense that when we are educating and informing the public on the other services we provide, we want the public to see the big picture of all the groups keeping us safe,” said CCPD spokesperson, Andrea Schuch.
CCPD has made the open house events very interactive so that people can really retain the information that they are being presented, all while having a fun time.
Some hands-on opportunities include carrying a hose, going through obstacles, crawling through a smoke tunnel and even getting to put on some firefighter gear for the kids.
“It’s a great experience to see some of the services in action that people may not normally get to see,” said Schuch. “We invite everyone to come out to their local stations, and even others around the city to check out our safety offerings.”
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