At least 50 people, including members of Kunkletown's Cub Scout Pack 102, gathered at the Kunkletown Volunteer Fire Company station on Thursday evening to take part in its 34th annual open house and fire prevention event.

The event, which ran from 6 to 9 p.m., invited guests to come see the company's trucks and meet its firefighters. During the evening, rides were given on the firetrucks, fire prevention information and videos were provided, and a car rescue demonstration took place.In addition, there were also fire apparatus displays and a 911 dispatch center display. Plus, free hot dogs, chips, pretzels and white birch beer were provided and packets of goodies, including a "Jr. Firefighter" hat, crayons, stickers, tote bag and more, were handed out to the children there.The turnout was "better than last year," said Fire Company President and Safety Officer Ray Miller, who said numbers at the event have struggled ever since the town's local elementary school closed its doors back in 2010."This is the first year since (then) that we have this many people," Miller said.Miller said the main purpose of the event is to try to teach children to be aware of the dangers of fire and to try to practice safety in regard to it.David Hinkley, a 911 dispatcher manning the Monroe County Control Center booth at the event, said it is up to each individual fire company to run its own fire safety event during the month of October, which is National Fire Prevention month.He added that different companies invite groups like his, the Monroe County Control Center, which serves both Monroe County and Lehman Township in Pike County.At Hinkley's public educations booth, visitors were invited to pick up fire safety information and items, such as safety whistles and pet locator stickers for house windows.In regard to these types of events, Hinkley said that, "If it makes (kids) think about fire safety and the 911 center, even just a little bit at their age, that's a positive. And for a lot of them, this is probably their first exposure to the firetrucks and all the different things that they do."He also pointed out that, "(With) volunteerism way down, if even two or three of them eventually become volunteers, then it was absolutely worth it."