On the eve of Fire Prevention Week 2024, fire stations in the Suroît region opened their doors to young and old alike. In Coteau-du-Lac, nearly 1,200 visitors came to see the facilities, fleet of vehicles and equipment used daily by the local fire brigade. 

“Last year, the event attracted between 700 and 800 people. This year, over 1,000 people came to see us. We're very happy about that. It's a great success,” said Patrick Laberge Poirier, Director of the Coteau-du-Lac Fire Department, on the phone on Monday, October 7. 

The Coteau-du-Lac brigade also serves the Coteaux territory. A number of residents, young and old, took part in the open house.

On site, the little ones enjoyed inflatable games and free hot dogs.  

True-to-life simulations 

During the event, visitors were able to admire the sappers in action as two simulations took place. The first involved a car accident with extrication tongs, while the second took place in a kitchen with a stove fire. 

“In both cases, we wanted to raise people's awareness of the subject, i.e. how to be careful in the car and in the kitchen, but also what good behaviour to adopt when faced with these situations. An open house is always a good opportunity for us to forge links with the young and not-so-young in the community, answer their questions and show them our workplace and equipment. On an intervention, it's not the place to do it. When we arrive at a fire scene, children are often frightened by the noise of the sirens. It's important to make them understand that we're friendly and not scary,” he added. 

The municipal team also took advantage of the event to promote the Com Alerte emergency system, which enables citizens to be informed during emergency situations such as the floods of August 9. 

“We were also able to count on the support and assistance of 15 student firefighters from the Académie des pompiers and L'Institut de protection contre les incendies du Québec (IPIQ) to run the various simulations and meet citizens. Finally, we also want to remind people of the importance of having working smoke alarms in their homes.You need at least one per floor. It saves lives in emergency situations,” he concluded. 

In closing, the Ville de L'Île-Perrot also welcomed citizens to its fire station on Saturday, October 5.Visitors were able to handle fire extinguishers on a live fire, have fun in inflatable games, tour the fire station, sit in the trucks and get fire prevention tips.Hot dogs and popcorn were also available.