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09/25/2019 09:15 AMThe second annual Essex Community Day, held on Sunday, Sept. 29 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Essex Fire Headquarters, located at 11 Saybrook Road, promises some unique attractions, from food to an actual room on fire.
“We started this event last year in an effort to promote the first responders in town and the safety of the community,” said Essex Fire Marshal John Planas, who is also the deputy fire marshal for the Town of Guilford and a full-time fire fighter and paramedic in Guilford.
“We have planned a lot of fun activities for kids and families to enjoy including free hotdogs, face painting, a chance to get inside and see firsthand a rescue helicopter, a fire truck, and an ambulance. We will also have a jaws of life demonstration and live fire demonstration,” said Planas.
The Essex Fire Engine Co. #1 builds a room each year that is then set on fire live during the community day to illustrate to the community just how quickly a fire can start and spread.
“This day is about getting to know your local first responders and firefighters, but it also about bringing fire safety awareness to the forefront. We are here to keep people safe and help them understand how they can make their homes safer and keep their families safe in the event of a fire,” said Planas, who also hopes that the event helps recruit more volunteer firefighters in town.
“We are always in need of more volunteers so, hopefully we will get to meet a couple of new people at this event who will want to join up. That includes junior firefighters—although they can not participate in fighting fires, they are still able to be on site and be helpful, plus they learn a lot of critical safety training to prepare them for when they can become full-fledged fire volunteers,” said Planas.
He added, “We would love to add another 10 to 15 people to the department.”
In addition to the hands-on experiences and fun activities, there will also be raffles to win a ride with Santa on a firetruck or win a ride on a firetruck to school.
Additionally, Planas hopes to get the message out at the community day to remind town residents and visitors alike to take the opportunity, every time they change the clocks back for daylight saving time, to also check home fire alarms and change the batteries.
“It’s a proven fact: Fire alarms save lives,” said Planas.