Fire department open house to be held this weekend

The Whatcom County Fire District 5 open house will bring together dozens of organizations that serve the community, with the fire department at its core.

“This event allows the public to come and see the facility and the equipment and meet the professionals that provide emergency services to this community,” said fire chief Christopher Carleton.

Carleton said he has invited other groups to be part of the August 27 event. The Point Roberts Clinic will be providing health screenings, including eye exams and dental exams. The Bloodworks Northwest bloodmobile will be there for people who wish to donate blood. The Airlift Northwest helicopter will be on site, with information about how to obtain airlift insurance. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Delta Fire and Rescue have also been invited to attend.

The Point Roberts Emergency Preparedness group and the HAM radio operators will have information tables, as will the American Red Cross. This year the local senior center will join the open house, collecting donations for senior center programming, which the fire department will support with a run/bike with firefighters following the open house. Members of the Point Roberts Volunteer Firefighters Association will be serving up hotdogs and hamburgers.

“We’ll have a miniature combat course set up for the kids this year,” Carleton said, giving them the opportunity to experience being little firefighters. The fire safety house will be on site for the event, and both kids and adults will have a chance to try out a fire hose and sit behind the wheel of the fire engine.

The open house runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 27 at the Benson Road fire station.