Newtown Hook & Ladder Open House

By Andrew Gorosko

Residents last Sunday were able to check out the latest in firefighting gear and discuss fire prevention topics at an open house held at the Newtown Hook and Ladder Volunteer Fire Company Firehouse on Main Street, behind Edmond Town Hall.

Children, with their parents in tow, clearly were attracted to the fire company’s new ladder truck on display, with its 105-foot-long ladder extended in front of the red brick firehouse.

The vehicle, which went into service in late August, extends the capabilities of firefighters at structure fires, increasing their ability to put out blazes and make rescues. The new truck, which cost the town approximately $600,000, is used throughout Newtown at structure fires. The ladder truck has all-wheel steering, which allows it to make much tighter turns than one would expect from so large a vehicle.

Inside the firehouse, children and their parents viewed the range of equipment that firefighters use when battling blazes, such as hoses, fire extinguishers, self-contained breathing systems, helmets, safety goggles, and thermal imaging cameras.

The cameras, which are gaining wider use among fire departments, allow firefighters to view the “heat” present in a scene rather than the “light.” Such devices help firefighters locate people in burning buildings and locate nonvisible fires that may be burning behind walls or above ceilings.

Fire Chief Dave Ober explained the camera’s use to those attending the open house.

Firefighters also demonstrated the techniques they use to extricate people trapped in vehicles after auto accidents.

The Hook and Ladder firefighters provided a wide range printed information on fire prevention topics, plus the brightly colored red plastic toy fire helmets, which children are fond of wearing.