Nellis promotes sounds of fire safety during Fire Prevention Week

  • Published
  • By NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev.
  • 57th Wing Public Affairs

The Nellis Fire Department is taking preventive measures to mitigate death and injury due to fire incidents by holding Fire Prevention Week.

“It mainly is for informing the public during this one week throughout the year,” said Tony Rabonza, Nellis Air Force Base Fire Chief. “We’re highlighting the fire prevention practices that we want them to look at and it stems from the National Fire Protection Association.”

Participants of the fire prevention parade made their way from Fire Station One, through base housing and to Fire Station Four where the open house had been set up. The parade included fire trucks and ambulances from various departments in the surrounding area, as well as other vehicles. The open house included bounce houses, a fire safety trailer, an extrication demonstration on a vehicle and a simulated car fire.

The fire department held the open house to promote proper fire prevention practices and to teach children not to be afraid of firefighters. 

“We want to make them so that they’re not afraid of a firefighter when they come in. They’re not a monster,” said Rabonza. “Some little kids think so, if they don’t get that extra education. We want to make sure that they’re safe and they’re okay with seeing a firefighter in their uniform or in their turnouts.”

Both the parade and the open house are parts of Fire Prevention Week but they are not the only aspects of it. Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record and takes the fire department all across base teaching good safety habits to airmen and families.

“We set up at the BX, and we hand out literature,” said Aaron Grindland, the Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention. “That’s where we spend really a week of educating the base populace.”

Beyond Fire Prevention Week, the fire department offers ways to mitigate the risk of fires all year long. There are tip sheets on how to prevent common mistakes on their website and the Fire Prevention Office is always a valuable resource to the public.

“We’re all about customer service and making sure that everybody’s safe,” said Rabonza. “If somebody needs some assistance, help, information, they just get ahold of fire prevention at the Fire Prevention Office and we will bend over backwards to make sure that they get what they need.”

“A good thing to do as a family is to have a plan,” said Grindland. “If there is a fire in your house, have a plan and know where to meet.” 

The fire prevention office also encourages residents to change their smoke detectors routinely and be aware of the common mistakes that occur. They also encourage base residents to call 702-652-0953 in order to be put through to the base dispatcher at Nellis to save time in an emergency.

“If you dial 911 from your cell phone, it’s going to the county,” said Grindland. “Then, the county will transfer you here, but that takes time, and in an emergency, every second is precious.” 

Because of the information that Nellis Fire Department is spreading through Fire Prevention Week, Airmen and families are made more aware of how to protect themselves.

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