Prevention is Paramount

As volunteers of the Getzville Fire Company, and your neighbors, we are very committed to the promotion of safety and fire prevention in our community. In the most general of terms, our role as firefighters and EMS personnel handling emergencies related to fire, health and public safety is well known by most. Many people however, may not be aware that the primary role of a fire company or department is first and foremost: fire prevention. Indeed, a firefighter's best day on the job, although it may not be the most exciting in terms of action, is the day she prevents a fire from spreading or better yet, even starting.

The best way to prevent fires is for each and every firefighter to be aware of the potential hazards in his or her community and to work to lessen them. Our fire company officers and firefighters work within the community and with its leaders to do just that. To be truly effective, our fire prevention efforts must also extend a hand out to you as our neighbor, friend, or family member. Your involvement is crucial in successfully creating a safer community for all of us.

The volunteers of the Getzville Fire Company work to educate the public in ways to avoid or lessen potential harm and tragedy whenever possible, before it strikes. Our education efforts range from attending and putting on fire prevention presentations at schools and community centers, to offering safety tips to seniors and businesses. From time to time we are also invited to block parties and other neighborhood festivities where we enjoy showing off our apparatus and talking to families and the children about safety and the fire service. We have also enjoyed hosting community groups such as Girl Scout troops and Boy Scout Packs to our fire house for tours and talks as well.

Every year, the members of the Getzville Fire Company look forward to Fire Prevention week in the month of October. During this week, we not only participate in many school activities with the children and their teachers, we also enjoy hosting their families and the community at large at our Open House at Station One. At our Open House, you can explore our fire and rescue apparatus, see live fire demonstrations, learn how to use a fire extinguisher, and much, much more. There are games and activities for the kids and refreshments and good information to be had for the adults. And, if you live in our fire district and thinking of joining fire service as a volunteer, we invite you to stop acquainted with the Getzville Fire Company as well.

These and other activities are an important part of our fire prevention and safety promotion efforts. Our goal is always, a safer community for all of us to enjoy. As a fire company, our prevention efforts have expanded over the years to include not only fire prevention but also safety education as well. The principle and goal, however, remain the same:

An educated, aware community of individuals, who know how to react in an emergency and in particular and where to get help when it is needed, provides for a safer place to live and work for all. If our efforts to educate and inform the public, as well as enlist the support and involvement of our community, are successful then we will have done our best.

If we can answer any of your fire safety questions, or assist in any way in your or your organization's own fire prevention efforts, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or by phone at 688-0117.