FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Local 4 viewers learned critical fire safety lessons and prevention strategies during our September “Go 4 It” event, “Be Fire Safe,” in partnership with the Farmington Hills Fire Department.
The sessions at The Hawk focused on fire safety concerns, including lithium-ion battery fires, which will be the theme of next month’s Fire Prevention Week.
“What you should know is never mix and match one of the chargers with another type of unit that you need to charge,” said Lt. Dennis Firment.
Smoking, cooking, and electrical issues are the most common causes of fatal fires in Michigan.
Fire Marshal Jason Baloga discussed the importance of smoke detectors.
“Only 30% of these fire fatalities had a working smoke alarm, so that’s why it is so important to get this message out,” said Baloga.
Instructors showed videos of how quickly fire can spread through a home.
Tamika Wilson attended with her two children.
“We are homeschoolers, and we wanted to develop a fire escape plan,” said Wilson. “A friend of mine lost their mother in a house fire. It is very important for them to get out safely.”
Craig Pasechnik came to learn about battery safety.
“I have a lot of lithium batteries for my power tools and lawn mower, and I’ve been hearing a lot of stories about them, so I just wanted to find out about them,” said Pasechnik.
Julie Marcy, who has participated in most Go 4 It events, attended the session.
“I enjoyed getting out in the community, to learn new tips, new things I need to know,” said Marcy.
The Farmington Hills Fire Department will host an open house on Saturday, Oct. 4.
The open house will be held at Farmington Hills City Hall.
Visitors can:
- Climb on fire trucks
- Try on firefighter uniforms
- Watch live demonstrations
- Practice fire escape plans
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