This fall the Cherry Hill Fire Department (CHFD) will host a community Fire and Life Safety Day to kick off Fire Prevention Week. The free event will be held on Sunday, October 2, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Croft Farm, 100 Borton’s Mill Road (the rain date is October 2 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Croft Farm). It will feature educational displays, fire apparatus and demonstrations. There will be something for everyone with special activities planned for children.

The men and women of the CHFD are professionals that you may only encounter in times of emergency, but they serve our community in numerous ways. Celebrating its 11th year as a consolidated district, the CHFD focuses on protection, prevention, and education.

On Fire and Life Safety Day, the Cherry Hill Police will provide Kid Card IDs and neighboring municipal fire departments will display their equipment. The CHFD Fire Safety Trailer will be open for tours and Emergency Medical Services crews will have displays for the public. The Technical Rescue Team will demonstrate their water rescue talents on a branch of the Cooper River adjacent to Croft Farm, with other areas set up for interactive demonstrations.

In the past, it was tradition for Fire Departments to showcase their fire equipment at a community event and I am pleased that the CHFD has resumed this tradition. Today, most residents only see fire equipment when the CHFD is responding to an emergency. The September event is a rare opportunity to see emergency equipment demonstrated and personally explained by first responders.

The emergency personnel at the CHFD are true community heroes. For more information on the CHFD, visit the website or call 795-9805.