Those clumsy cows…

Legend has it that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started the Great Chicago Fire on Oct. 9, 1871. Now, 130 years later, the only disaster that also serves as a professional sports namesake also helps firefighters preach the importance of fire safety.

National Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 7-13, and the DeKalb Fire Department would like to remind and educate everyone in the community how important it is to be prepared if a fire should occur in your home.

“It’s important to teach fire safety in order to protect people,” said Dennis Votaw, DeKalb’s assistant fire chief.

And though fire prevention week only comes once a year, the fire department takes full advantage of teaching fire safety in the community all month long.

The department will go around town to elementary schools with a makeshift firehouse fitted onto a trailer.

With the help of the trailer, Votaw said firefighters teach kids how to protect themselves and their families if ever faced with a fire. And it works.

“There’s been several occasions where after having a class, kids have helped in fire and emergency situations and done just fine,” Votaw said.

Inside the traveling firehouse, students have the opportunity to be placed in real-life situations. With the assistance of a smoke machine, children learn the proper ways to navigate through a fire while putting themselves in the least amount of danger.

The off-duty firefighters also bring their fire gear to schools.

“We take fire gear to show them that [firefighters] are real people, so they aren’t afraid of them and let them know an actual person is under the equipment,” Votaw said.

“Usually kids hide in their home, and if a firefighter comes in they will hide and not say anything because they are scared,” he added.

Though the fire department doesn’t have any similar events for adults, they gladly will help educate organizations or companies on fire safety if requested.

The reason so much attention is given to children, Votaw said, is because they need the most training.

“It’s nice to get to them when they’re young, because it s something they can use their entire life,” Votaw said.

The best way to help yourself in any situation is to be prepared by having functional smoke detectors. The batteries in smoke detectors should be tested and replaced twice a year, Votaw said.

“You can reduce your chances of dying by 50 percent by having working smoke detectors,” he said.

Though special attention is designated to fire prevention in October, fire safety should be practiced year round, Votaw said.