For the first time, Summit Hill Diligence Fire Company #1 and Lansford American Fire Company #1 held a joint open house last evening in celebration of Fire Prevention Week at the Summit Hill fire company's building and community center. Among the displays over 80 people who attended saw were a smoke house, equipment tables, a fire extinguisher simulation and a training house.

"This is the first time we are having a joint effort with Lansford," said Summit Hill Company President and Captain Larry Black, "although we have been observing Fire Prevention Week with an open house for years. Our goal is to make children feel safe with firefighters so the uniform doesn't scare them."Black said there were activities at the open house for all ages. "Lansford brought their safety training house and an extinguisher simulator and we have a smoke house and gear displays as well as literature and free smoke detectors," he said.Assistant Fire Chief Ron Hood said, "We fight fires together and we do a great deal of work together so we thought it would be a good idea to participate in an open house together." Hood demonstrated the fire extinguisher simulator which consisted of a propane fire base that provided flames. The base contained sensors that turned the flames off when water was present. Pressurized water extinguishers are used to teach people how to properly discharge the tool to put out the flames. "You should always aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire," he instructed.Training officer and Summit Hill Captain Ron Yuricheck said the theme for this year was "Have Two Ways Out: Be Rabbit Ready". "Rabbits have two ways out of their den and we should always have two ways out of wherever we find ourselves so that in case of a fire, there is always another escape route in case one is blocked."