On Friday, Oct.13, Lenola Volunteer Fire Company 313 and Moorestown Fire Prevention hosted Fire Prevention Night.
The goal of Fire Prevention Night was simple: to educate residents on fire safety while ensuring everyone had a good time, according to Moorestown Township Fire Official Matthew Orsini. On Friday, Oct. 13, Moorestown residents converged on Lenola Volunteer Fire Company Station 313 to meet their local firefighters and see firefighting equipment up close. The night came as a part of Fire Prevention Week, which spanned from Oct. 8 through Oct. 14.
The event allowed residents to tour some of the Moorestown Fire Department’s equipment and featured free fire engine rides for those in attendance. Residents explored a ladder truck, an antique fire truck, two ambulances, a fire investigation vehicle and a humvee, and Sparky the Fire Dog, Moorestown Fire Prevention’s mascot, roamed around high-fiving and stopping for photos with children.
The night also featured presentations with firefighters in full gear showcasing a hose advance and a demonstration from the Moorestown Police Department’s K-9 unit.
Dominic Lugo, a volunteer firefighter with the Lenola Company, said kids often look up to firefighters and police officers, and Fire Prevention Night capitalizes on that fact. He said his goal for the night was to ensure any of the kids he spoke with learned how to stay safe in the event of a fire.
“I’m going to make sure they leave and maybe they know something they didn’t know before,” Lugo said.
Jamie Boren, administrative assistant for Moorestown Fire Prevention, said the Fire Prevention Night is about teaching kids not to fear firefighters.
“The more exposure they have to the apparatus and the equipment and the men and women who are firefighters and the trucks, any fear or worry that they may have hopefully will be diminished,” Boren said.
Boren said earlier in the week, Moorestown Fire Prevention paid a visit to all of the local elementary schools to teach students some of the basic principles of fire safety, such as staying low to the ground, not hiding as well as getting out and staying out.
Moorestown resident Jim Sauer said he brought his two sons, ages 11 and 5, because the night helps dispel some of the mystery and uncertainty about who firemen are and what they do.
“I think it’s a good way to understand all the equipment and preparation that goes into having a firehouse that protects the residents,” Sauer said.
Resident Mark Romano said he and his wife brought their three children out for the night because they have a fascination with firetrucks, and they thought it was an opportunity for them to see what firefighters do in a way they hadn’t before.
Romano said the Moorestown Fire Department definitely has a positive relationship with the community.
“They do a lot,” Romano said. “They’re very active.”
Orsini said in addition to education, the department’s hope is the night sparks kids’ interest in volunteering one day.
“I hope it encourages them to get involved when they get older,” Orsini said.
