Shreveport Firefighters Ready For 14th Annual Open House Weekend

The Shreveport Fire Department's 14th Annual Open House Weekend kicks off Saturday.

All 21 stations throughout the city will be open to the public, and firefighters will be doing equipment demonstrations, basic fire rescue techniques and free blood pressure checks.

Saturday only, Willis-Knighton Health Systems will be at fire stations 13 and 17, doing free health screenings -- body fat analysis, glucose levels and strength tests. Hours for that are 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Station 13 will also feature Pluggie, the Fire Safety House, the City Marshal's DARE vehicle, and the Caddo Sheriff's Office, which will provide child booster seat and ID checks.

Assistant to the Fire Chief Fred Sanders says this event has grown over the years. Somewhere around 200 residents turned out last year, with the majority of visitors stopping by Station 13 on W. 70th Street for all the extra events.

He says Pluggie is a valuable tool in teaching children about fire safety. "We believe that if we can get to the children at a very young age, their minds are impressionable, and we can change some of those behaviors that could be harmful to them...such as playing with matches," Sanders says. "So Pluggie teaches them about that." He says it also reinforces lessons like "Stop, Drop and Roll" and "Sirens and Lights, Pull to the Right," and the kids often share those things with their parents.

Hours for the Open House are 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday.

Click HERE for a list of SFD station locations.