House fires may be scary events, particularly for children. But members of the Leavenworth Fire Department are inviting children to learn about fire safety in a fun environment.
Firefighters will be sponsoring their second annual Halloween Fire Safety House from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Riverfront Community Center, 123 S. Esplanade St., and the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum, 320 S. Esplanade St. The event also is being sponsored by the Leavenworth High School drama club and the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum.
Visitors will tour through a series of stations, each with a fire safety theme such as dialing 911 and stop, drop and roll, according to Fire Chief Steve Moody.
Leavenworth High School drama students will be portraying various characters featured in the Halloween Fire Safety House.
And while there is a Halloween theme, organizers said the program was not designed to be frightening.
Firefighter Tyler Ewert said the role players will be wearing friendly costumes.
The event will be free. But organizers are asking visitors to bring canned goods.
Ewert said the canned items will be donated to local food banks.
“It’s not leaving the city,” he said.
The Halloween Fire Safety House is said to be designed for children who are 10 or younger but Moody said this doesn’t mean others can’t attend.
The program was introduced to Leavenworth last year, and it was borrowed from Salina, where Moody previously worked as a firefighter. This year, the program is being put together in Leavenworth using props and other materials obtained in the community.
Moody said he hopes to reach preschoolers with the Halloween Fire Safety House. He said this is a hard group to catch for fire safety education.
Ewert said the event also reinforces information provided to children by firefighters during public education presentations.
Firefighters have been making a number of fire safety presentations during October, which is celebrated as Fire Prevention Month.
Last year’s Halloween Fire Safety House was set up at the Riverfront Community Center. But this year, the program is being split between the community center and the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum, which is across the street.
Moody said having the two locations may be used to cut down on long lines, a concern of some visitors last year.
He said people may be invited to start the program at either building in order to shorten the line at a single location.
Moody said museum officials will offer free carousel rides to children who visit the Halloween Fire Safety House.
Ewert estimated it should take 20 to 25 minutes to go through the Halloween Fire Safety House.
