First-ever Drive-In to Fire Safety event

A double bill at the Twilight Theatre will launch the first-ever Drive-In to Fire Safety event, and kick off a busy couple of weeks for Township of Langley firefighters.

Local firefighters are taking their message of safety, education, and preparedness to the big, big screen. An evening of movies, prizes, and family fun will be presented next week by the Township of Langley Fire Department, which is taking over Aldergrove's Twilight Theatre to entertain, inform, and raise money for a couple of good causes. The Drive-In to Fire Safety will be held at the new outdoor move theatre in Aldergrove on Thursday, Sept. 21. The event gets underway at 5:30 p.m. with displays, demonstrations, and give-aways, and the night will include a double bill of movies about emergency responders. The firefighting classic Backdraft will be shown at 7:30 p.m., and will be followed at 9:30 p.m. by Oliver Stone's new release World Trade Centre.

"This is the first event of its kind," said Public Education Officer Captain Rita Paine. "It's a neat idea for a family event." The Township fire department wanted to promote its fire safety message in a fun atmosphere, and approached Jay Daulat, who owns the Twilight at 260th St. and Fraser Hwy. "He thought it was a great idea," said Paine, and Daulat set about securing movies that would add to the ambience of the evening for the special event. Admission to Drive-In to Fire Safety is $11 for adults, $6.50 for children or seniors, or $25 per car load. "That's a great deal for families," said Township of Langley Fire Prevention Officer Captain Doug Simpson, who noted that those who attend will also be helping those in need.

Money raised at the Sept. 21 event will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Safe Baby Program, which presents parents of newborns with informational material and gifts designed to keep infants safe. During Drive-In to Fire Safety, prizes of fire extinguishers and First Aid kits that have been donated by Valley Traffic will be given away, and guests will have a chance to see fire trucks on display, and watch fire extinguisher demonstrations. Children will receive fire-safety goodie bags, and Assistant Fire Chief Pat Walker has arranged for a sprinkler demonstration trailer to give visitors a first-hand look at how sprinkler systems work.

The Township of Langley currently requires duplexes, multi-family dwellings, and commercial buildings to be outfitted with sprinklers. However, the Fire Department would like to see it made mandatory for sprinklers to be installed in all residential and commercial buildings, as it is in municipalities such as Maple Ridge and the City of Vancouver. According to Walker, having sprinkler systems in single family homes on compact lots would help suppress fires that could potentially spread between the closely spaced homes. Sprinklers on rural properties in areas where there are no fire hydrants would help control blazes that do break out, and in some cases provide lower insurance premiums. Walker recently conducted a survey of homeowners in a new Willoughby development to gauge their awareness of and attitude towards sprinklers. The survey found that the more residents know about sprinklers and how they work, the more likely they are to want them in their homes.

"The more awareness we create about sprinklers, the more people are positive about them," said Walker, who hopes the demonstration house featured at the Drive-In to Fire Safety will give people an up-close look at how effective sprinklers can be. The Drive-In to Fire Safety will kick off a busy couple of weeks for local firefighters. Fire Prevention Week, which this year takes on the theme "Watch What You Heat," and focuses on the prevention of cooking fires, will be welcomed on Saturday, Sept. 30, during the 14th annual Fire Safety Fair. The Fair will be held at Willowbrook Shopping Centre from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the corner of the Langley Bypass and Fraser Hwy. Visitors can meet firefighters, take part in activities, and have lunch cooked for them by Langley's fire chiefs. The event is free, but donations to charity will be gratefully accepted.

Township firefighters will continue to meet and greet members of the community when they throw open their fire hall doors. Family-oriented open houses that will feature tours and a chance to climb in a fire truck and try on firefighting gear will be held Tuesday, Oct. 10, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at all seven Township of Langley Fire Halls. Family nights will be held at:

• Hall 2 (Fort Langley): 23137 - 96th Ave.
• Hall 3 (Aldergrove): 26316 - 30A Ave.
• Hall 4 (Willoughby): 20253 - 72nd Ave.
• Hall 5 (Brookswood): 20355 - 32nd Ave.
• Hall 6 (Murrayville): 22170 - 50th Ave.
• Hall 7 (Otter): 3876 - 248th St.
• Hall 8 (Walnut Grove): 9580 - 208th St.

CUTLINE: Feature films and fire trucks will be on the bill when Township of Langley firefighters, including Assistant Chief Pat Walker, Captain Rita Paine, and Captain Doug Simpson, hold their first Drive-In to Fire Safety event at the Twilight Theatre, on Thursday evening, Sept. 21.

Events listing:

Drive-In to Fire Safety will be presented by the Township of Langley Fire Department, Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Twilight Drive-In Theatre at 260th St. and Fraser Hwy. in Aldergrove. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. with demonstrations, displays, and giveaways. The movie Backdraft will be shown at 7:30 p.m. and World Trade Centre will run at 9:30 p.m. Cost is $11 for adults, $6.50 for children or seniors, or $25 per car load, and will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Safe Baby Program.