04/13/08 — Fire Departments plan Safety Day on Saturday

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Fire Departments plan Safety Day on Saturday

By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on April 13, 2008 2:00 AM

From staff reports

Hoping to improve safety in Wayne County, eight fire departments and the county Sheriff's Office are coming together on April 19 to host a Safety Saturday in the parking lot of the Food Lion in the Five Points Plaza on U.S. 117 in the Mar-Mac community.

Running from 1 to 5 p.m., the afternoon will include smoke detector and fire extinguisher giveaways, safety checks for boats, all-terrain vehicles, helmets and child safety seats, and the sale of county-required E-911 address signs.

Also on Saturday will be a bike rodeo for children, a K-9 demonstration by the sheriff's office, a fire truck display and demonstration, the Goldsboro Fire Department's smoke house and, of course, free hot dogs and drinks.

Other event participants include Arrington Fire Department, Dudley Fire Department, Grantham Fire Department, Mar-Mac Fire Department, Jordans Chapel Fire Department, Mount Olive Fire Department and Thoroughfare Fire Depart-ment.

"We try to do this every year," said Janice Rogers, secretary/treasurer for the Arrington Fire Department. "It's a good way for the community to learn what the fire departments do. Some people just aren't conscious of our fire departments and how they can help them."

But more than the education component, it's also a good opportunity for people to make sure they, and especially their children, are as safe as they can be.

"The child safety seat checks are very important for children and they always have a good response," Ms. Rogers said. "And a lot of time people don't have them in place correctly."