The sound of laughter mixed with the wail of sirens as kids climbed into fire trucks and learned safety tips during Blythewood firefighters’ fire prevention event.

Kids and their families got the chance to meet local heroes Oct.13 when firefighters gathered at the area’s Richland County library branch for a meet-and-greet. 

“Meet a Firefighter” is an afternoon of demonstrations and fun designed to educate kids on fire safety, said Columbia Richland Fire Department Public Information Officer Mike DeSumma. 

“Kids are impressionable, and sometimes kids are the best way to reach people in a household about the important messages we’re trying to get across,” DeSumma said. “Sometimes it’s those simple things they bring home to their families that get that prevention message out there.”

Firefighters offered tours of their trucks while showcasing their gear and giving safety discussions about checking smoke alarms, owning working fire extinguishers and creating a fire escape plan.

Connecting with the community is important to the fire department, and the library was happy to play its part in making that happen, said library staff member Heather Barry.

“It’s important for us to have events like this because we are a place where people can be curious and learn,” Barry said. “We want to educate the community about our community helpers and really uplift them and celebrate them because they do a lot of hard work.” 

The meet-and-greet is part of the department’s broader effort to engage with the community and create a presence outside of emergency situations, DeSumma said.

“Being able to have our citizens know us and learn about what we do as a fire department every day is really important,” DeSumma said. “We’re usually seeing people on their worst days, and engagement events like this are good because they allow people to see us, to meet us, to hear about what we do.”

Firefighters also used the event as an opportunity to promote National Fire Prevention Month, which is observed every October.

This year’s theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home,” highlights the importance of buying, charging and recycling those batteries safely.

Lithium-ion batteries, often found in everyday items such as mobile phones, laptops, cameras and power tools, are becoming an emerging fire hazard in communities across the country.