The Dresden Fire Department’s open house on Oct. 3 had at least a hundred people attend, said Chief Gerald Lilly.
“I think it went very well,” said Lilly. “Glad we could do it for the town.”
Sparky the Fire Dog came to the open house to meet the kids, and there were games, prizes, and educational items for those who attended.
An apparent favorite of the children was Brunswick Fire Department’s Safety House, which was on loan for the event.
The Safety House is a training tool for children to learn how to properly exit their home in case of fire, said Dresden Assistant Chief Steve Lilly.
A smoke machine filled the two rooms of the Safety House with smoke while firefighters instructed the children on how to stay low and crawl against the walls. A heated door for the children to touch let them see just how it would feel if a fire was on the other side.
Taylor Alley, of Dresden brought her daughters Jayda and Bella to go through the Safety House.
Alley said her family had lost their house to a fire last August, and while everyone had gotten out quickly and safely, she wanted her daughters to experience what it would be like if they needed to escape in a smokey environment.
The daughters had been calm and did a great job when they needed to escape their home, Alley said. “It was amazing…everybody pulled together.”
Jayda, age 7, said she had been through the Safety House three times and had learned enough that she could do it without help from the firefighters.
Firefighters went to Dresden Elementary School Sept. 28 to educate students and let them know about the upcoming open house, Gerald Lilly said.
The students at the school were able to see the firefighters’ air packs as well as learn about stop, drop, and roll at the school event, Lilly said.
The department gets “pretty good support from the selectmen and the town,” Lilly said.
“Dresden Fire is very progressive in having an open house,” said Lincoln County Commissioner Sheridan Bond, who attended the event. “It’s good to let the public know what the firefighters do and the equipment they use.”
A ladder truck from Bath Fire Department and the Lincoln County Incident Command Mobile Communication Response Unit were also on display at the event.
