On Tuesday, Oct. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m., Boothbay Fire & Rescue hosted its annual open house event, where over 100 residents from Boothbay and surrounding towns attended the event.

In addition to Boothbay Fire, Edgecomb, Boothbay Harbor, and Damariscotta Fire and Rescue departments sent apparatus and firefighters to participate in the open house.

Boothbay Region Ambulance and EMTs were also on hand to demonstrate the lifesaving capabilities of the service and tour the ambulance.

Across all four departments and the Ambulance Service, over 25 firefighters and EMTs were on hand to answer questions from attendees and conduct fire demonstration and rescue presentations.

Nine fire trucks, from attack engines, heavy rescue, aerial ladder, tanker and utility apparatus where on static display, allowing the public to “see and touch” the equipment and interact with firefighters and EMTs.

Central to the purpose and theme of the open house was fire prevention, education and awareness. Damariscotta Fire conducted their smoke house mobile home simulator, which allows children and adults to be immersed in a low visibility environment, replicating what an actual smoke situation in a home would entail.

Chief David Pratt, from Boothbay Fire and Rescue noted that the open house allows the public to meet firefighters and learn key lifesaving skills. “We rarely have the opportunity to interact with the public, since actual fire and rescue situations are heavily restricted. Our annual open house is a great opportunity for residents throughout the peninsula to learn about key fire prevention capabilities and meet with firefighters.”

Boothbay Fire and Rescue is planning additional public education events throughout the remainder of 2024 and year in 2025 which will be communicated to residents in the Boothbay Register and on the departments Facebook page.