Free festival of food, fun, & “infotainment” promotes fire prevention 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Sept. 30, 2015) – Free food, fun, and family-oriented entertainment and demonstrations will be on deck during Fire Safety Day on Saturday, Oct. 10, on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center.

The Little Rock Fire Department leads the annual event, a four-hour festival that aims to educate children and families about fire safety as part of national Fire Prevention Week, this year taking place Oct. 4 - 10. From sitting in the driver’s seat of a fire truck and operating a fire hose to meeting Molly the Fire Safety Dog, children will get the opportunity for hands-on learning at Fire Safety Day, which kicks off at 11 a.m.

Participating organizations include other local fire departments, the Little Rock Police Department, Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS), the American Red Cross, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the Little Rock Zoo, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Learning stations and demonstrations will offer families tips on fire prevention and tools to ensure safety comes first in the home.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme is “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!” According to the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Prevention Association home fires killed more than 3,275 people in 2014. Around half of home fire deaths result from fires reported between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., which is why having working, connected, and regularly maintained smoke alarms in every bedroom is critical.

During Fire Prevention Week, the Little Rock Fire Department will partner with the Domino’s Pizza location on Rodney Parham to encourage Little Rock residents to have working smoke detectors installed in their homes.

“We want to ensure that citizens not only have multiple smoke detectors in their home but that those devices are working,” says Fire Chief Gregory Summers. “Those alarms can mean the difference between life and death in house fires, many of which occur during the hours homeowners are asleep.”

In addition to the Fire Safety Day activities on Oct. 10, attendees age 16 and above can give blood at the Red Cross blood drive on the Red Cross bus. The sponsor code to schedule an appointment in advance is LRFD. A new RapidPass program at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass will let donors start the process before arriving at the drive that day.

The festival and blood drive will be from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 1200 President Clinton Ave. The event will happen rain or shine except in the case of severe weather.

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