By Sheila Phibbs
The Haldimand Press
SELKIRK—“Heritage on Fire” is a new exhibit at the Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum (WMMSM) that pays tribute to the volunteers of the Haldimand Fire Department (HFD) and promotes fire safety and prevention.
Ron Schweitzer, HFD Public Education Officer, appreciates the opportunity to work with the museum and is pleased to have every station in Haldimand represented in the exhibit. He is impressed with the displays of firefighting equipment used over the years. He says, “They’ve done a great job of bringing in the past to the present.”
The exhibit features a collection of burnt items that reinforces the damage that a fire can cause. These visual images are a stark reminder of the importance of working smoke alarms, which Schweitzer says should be located outside sleeping areas and on of every level of a house. People should check their smoke detectors each month to ensure they are working and Schweitzer suggests they can be vacuumed as well to remove dust.
The “Heritage on Fire” exhibit offers several activities for children to work on with their parents and learn about fire safety.
Schweitzer says of this new exhibit, “When you get interest … from other community groups it’s fabulous. You get a different perspective of what the fire department is. This helps put the word out more on fire safety.”
Dana Stavinga, Curator at WMMSM, echoes that sentiment. She says, “It’s a great collaboration working with the fire department to promote fire safety. I cannot even imagine what it’s like for them (the volunteers) going into buildings in this equipment … plus the heat.”
In fact, that equipment weights 70 to 80 pounds and, according to Schweitzer, the temperature of a house fire is between 800 and 1,200 degrees, sometimes hotter. This is the type of information Schweitzer shares as the Public Education Officer.
He says, “It’s nice to get out and meet different people, build on the knowledge they have and dispel myths. Everybody has questions.”
Promoting fire safety and prevention will be part of the upcoming ‘Shop Till You Drop’ Christmas Craft Weekend, which takes place November 18 to 20 at the museum. There will be draws for fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and more.
Stavinga states, “It’s great to promote the fire department. We need to educate the kids that these are our Haldimand County heroes who will come to help in an emergency.”
The Heritage on Fire exhibit continues at WMMSM until the end of the November.
