OTHELLO – Adams County Fire District No. 5 will have its fourth annual open house at its Othello station on Oct. 20. Everyone is invited.

The open house is usually held during Fire Prevention Week in the Othello elementary schools. FPW will be held on Oct. 10-14 this year.

According to Assistant Chief Tom Salsbury, the open house is a follow-up to and reinforcement of what first-, second- and third-graders are taught during FPW.

The open house is well attended, with Salsbury estimating 300 visitors last year.

“They even came from Royal City and Warden,” he said.

FPW is a small assemblies program. The first-graders in one school are covered at the same. They are taught how to escape a fire and how to protect themselves during the escape. They are taught to fall to the ground and roll if their clothing is aflame.

The FPW students tour a fire truck. Some receive gifts such as fire hats.

At the open house, visitors will tour the building and see the trucks, and little ones will have an opportunity to handle a 1-inch fire hose. There will be an air pack demonstration and a thermal imaging camera demonstration.

“Detecting body heat, it can show the outline of a body and its location, so that we can perform a rescue,” Salsbury said.