DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Fire Department held its fire safety day and encouraged the community to come out and practice their skills.

Fire Station #1 held its annual Fire Prevention Open House during the Arts Festival to prevent fires and help young people and adults feel confident in their ability to do the same.

Those who stopped by had the opportunity to interact with and try on firefighting gear, check out firetrucks, and partake in an obstacle course. The Des Moines Fire Department says this program is a good reminder for all ages.

“We find the best success is like pre-school through about 5th grade. They’re impressionable, we can teach them lessons that will serve them throughout their lifetime,” said Jonathan Lund, DMFD Fire Marshal. “But we’ll talk to adults, we’ll talk to high school students, anybody that shows up, we want to make sure they’re prepared for an emergency.”

The Des Moines Fire Department says some of the most important safety tips they teach are stop, drop and roll, fire extinguisher use, and maintaining smoke alarms. DMFD Fire Marshal Lund also says teaching fire safety in the kitchen is important.

“Kitchen is the leading cause of fires in Des Moines and nationally, so we talk a lot about not leaving the kitchen when you are cooking, keeping combustibles away from the stove, not having kids in the kitchen, all of those tips are really helpful for prevention,” said Lund.

The Des Moines Fire Department is making preparations for Fire Prevention Week which will be observed from October 5th to 11th in 2025.