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Carstairs families spent Saturday afternoon at the fire hall, taking in food, games and a double dose of firefighter action during the department's community open house.
The event is one of two that the Carstairs Fire Department now hosts each year — one in spring and one in October for Fire Prevention Week.
"That actually was our [firefighters] association… it was their idea originally," said Fire Chief Jordan Schaffer. "The association brought up the idea of, 'let's get the community into the hall, ' and that's actually helped out. We've acquired members through this, and it lets the taxpayer see what we're buying and why we're buying equipment. They can meet the firefighters so they understand who's showing up to their emergencies."
The department's newest hall was still a fresh attraction last year, drawing high turnout for the inaugural event, however Fire Lieutenant Nick Swalm said that this year the turnout is comparable.
Schaffer added that one of the goals of the open house is to put a face to the uniform, especially in a smaller town where first responders are often familiar figures.
"Some days, it's actually beneficial where I can show up, and I know the patient, either we've been there before or just personally, and I've already got that rapport built up," he said. "But there's times where they're having a bad day and they don't want somebody they know being there. It kind of goes both ways."
As kids climbed onto trucks and geared up for the firefighter obstacle course, both firefighters said the lighthearted moments are just as important.
"We're all about family here within the department, and we're happy to serve the families in this community as well," said Swalm. "So it's really good to have all the kids out. They learn something and have lots of good questions, and we have a good time showing them around and teaching them."
Swalm said one moment stuck with him from past events when asked if any of the kids had asked a question that stumped them.
"We have training dummies in the back stairwell, and the kids were worried that those were old firefighters, so we're stuffed under there," he said.
He and Schaffer both emphasized the importance of making sure young visitors leave with one clear takeaway.
"The biggest thing for the kids is that the firefighters are safe," Swalm said. "We may end up in their homes in our full masks and gear and look very scary and sound scary, but we want the kids in the community to be able to recognize that this uniform is a safe person and somebody that they can approach when they need help."
"We want to make sure these guys understand what we are capable of and who we are. And, you know, they see us on the street there—even our city cities—they come up to us and have a talk to us. So there's [no] problem, and that's what we want to provide," Schaffer added.
The event itself featured mini golf, carnival-style games, and prize giveaways — with Firehouse Subs, Tim Hortons, The Farm Table and Happy Designs Creations all set up on-site. Families moved between food tables and activity stations while kids darted from one challenge to the next.
Two rounds of the firefighter challenge brought the biggest crowds of the day, with participants signing up ten minutes before the 3:00 and 4:15 p.m. start times. The timed obstacle course let residents test their speed and coordination through a fire-themed layout, cheered on by parents and volunteers.
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