10/5/2008- On Sunday from 11am to 3 pm, the Long Hill Fire Department held its annual Open House.  The event was held at Station 1 on Main Street.  The normal assortment of refreshments & food were provided by the LHFD Ladies Auxiliary.  On the top apron, the Trumbull Police Department's SCUBA Team  were on hand to show the public their specialized equipment.  The State Fire Academy also sent down their Safety Trailer to teach children and parents about fire safety in their home.

At 12:30, the crowd was shown a stove fire demonstration.  FF Daston explained to the spectators 3 different ways to extinguish a grease fire on a stove top.  The 1st way was to put a lid on the pot or pan.  This cuts the oxygen of the fire and puts it out.  The 2nd way was using baking soda.  This method smothers the flames and again blocks out the oxygen.  The last method was using a household fire extinguisher.  A fire was then lit on a stove top & spectators got to see how efficiently a fire extinguisher can do its job.

At 1:30, everyone was asked to go to the lower parking lot for an extrication drill.  Rescue 200 and its crew from Station 1 put their talent to use, showing the crowd how their tools can cut, spread, push, and pull anything it needs to when it comes to getting a trapped victim out of a car.  First the crew stabilized the  vehicle on its side using struts and wood cribbing to stop the car from rolling back over. Then the crews  performed a roof removal, cutting the roof to fold it back for access to any potential victims in the vehicle. 

At 2:30, everyone was asked again to report to the back parking lot.  The car previously used for the extrication was set on fire for a car fire demonstration.  Squad 209 and its crew from Station 3 rolled on to the scene to handle the scenario.  Upon arrival, the crew pulled the car fire line off the front, charged it, and quickly extinguished the blazing car.  The crowd was able to see not only how quickly it takes for a car to become fully involved, but also how quickly we can put it out.