At the Sumner Fire Station’s first open house, longtime resident and former city councilman Stan Purvis chuckled to himself as he watched event-goers give “drunk goggles” a try.
For Purvis, the chair of the city’s former fire committee, the event stood out.
“I can’t remember anything quite like this,” he said.
During the open house, families had a multitude of exhibits and activities to explore, including demonstrations of the “Jaws of Life” and other rescue equipment, safety videos and interactive exhibits on fire and electrical safety. Fire station equipment and vehicles were on display and fittings for bike helmets and life jackets were offered.
“We basically open our doors to the public,” said East Pierce Fire Lt. Eric McLeroy. “We do it in a fun atmosphere.”
The goal was to interact with the public and educate the community about fire safety, McLeroy said. East Pierce Fire and Rescue has hosted a similar safety fair in Bonney Lake since 1994, but the upcoming election for Sumner to annex into Fire District 22 was a good opportunity for the Sumner Fire Station to get involved.
Sumner resident Gloria Fautzman attended with her grandson, Michael Salo, from Pacific. The two tried all the different activities, and though Salo was shy at first, he eventually opened up and had fun, she said.
“I’m very impressed” with the event, Fautzman said.
If the weather was better, she guessed that there would have been even more people in attendance. Weather went between rain and hail to sunshine during the three-hour event.
When it started to rain again, Jennifer Noland of Bonney Lake and her family tried to warm up under one of the many tents set up. She liked that the event was a chance to get familiar with the local fire station, she said.
“I think it builds community,” Noland said.
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FIREFIGHTERS HONORED
Several firefighters were honored during the Sumner Fire Station Open House, hosted last Saturday.
> Michael Carnahan
> Darrell Daniel
> Gary Gruvman
> Ed Hannus
> Ken Kauth
> Jim Poste
> Vaughn Schmitz
> Paul Tutewiler
> Charles Wadsworth
> Warren Russell
> Tom Poste
> Gordy Peterson
> Ronald Scholz
> Chief Wade Joyner
> Chief Tom Mye
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