Flower Mound Fire Department promoting fire prevention awareness

The Flower Mound Fire Department has a busy month of community engagement ahead with its annual Open House event, Fire Prevention Week and poster contest for kids.

The Open House will kick things off from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Fire Station No. 5, 800 Spinks Road, with several safety demonstrations, including a medical evacuation landing, vehicle extrication and house fire demonstrations. Stephanie Billarreal, FMFD fire prevention officer, said there will be an emphasis on cooking safety.

“One of our burn room demonstrations will show what happens when you add water to hot grease, and show what you should do,” Billarreal said. “And there will be a side-by-side burn to show what happens when one room has a working sprinkler system and the other one doesn’t.”

The last FMFD Open House brought more than 2,000 people in for the demonstrations,, firefighter meet-and-greets, raffle drawings, giveaways, free food and more. Click here for more information about the Open House.

Next week, FMFD clowns will be heading to all Flower Mound elementary schools as part of Fire Prevention Week to conduct 36 fire safety presentations. These programs are important because they provide life-saving tips that kids remember.

“Everyone remembers ‘Stop, drop and roll,'” Billarreal said. “We’re teaching kindergartners things that will stick with them forever. Teaching them now is so important because they retain those life-safety messages forever.”

Billarreal said a recent fire in town proved to the FMFD that its messaging works.

“We had a recent fire where one of the occupants, a child, saw smoke and told his parent to not go back in, which they were trying to do,” she said. “He knew it wasn’t safe. We think that’s great.”

Elementary schools in Flower Mound and 1-5 grade students are also invited to participate in a Fire Prevention Week poster contest.

“Color us a poster, make us some art about fire safety,” Billarreal said.

Poster submissions are due by Oct. 27, and individual and school prize winners will be announced in November.

Click here for more information.