Pottsville fire officials said more people turned out than they expected Monday evening for the city's first Public Safety Night Out.
"I thought it would be pretty good, but I didn't think it would be this good," Pottsville fire Chief Todd March said as he stood at the lower level parking lot of the Pottsville Area School District's Martz Hall during the event.
He did not know exactly how many attended.
The event was slated for 6 to 8 p.m. but people lingered at the site after 8.
The Pottsville Fire Department, with the support of city police, Pottsville-Schuylkill Haven Area EMS, the Schuylkill County Sheriff's Department, Lehigh Valley MedEvac, South Schuylkill Mutual Aid and the Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency.
The idea for the night resulted from the Mother's Day house fire in Pottsville that killed six people, four of them children.
Eric Brown, 31; Joy Brown, 8; Jeremiah Brown; 7, Emily Brown, 3; Elijah Brown, 2, and Kristina Thomas, 23, all perished in the fire. Kelly Brown, mother of the four children, wife of Eric and sister of Kristina Thomas, was not at home at the time of the fire. She was doing laundry at a neighbor's house.
The home did not have smoke detectors.
The night out included a fire safety house where children learned about the importance of fire safety and how to escape from a burning home. There also were 18 types of fire apparatus from the Pottsville Fire Department, a police vehicle from the Pottsville Police Department, an ambulance from the Pottsville-Schuylkill Haven Area EMS and a MedEvac helicopter from Lehigh Valley.
Personnel from the city fire companies and the Pottsville Police Department also were on hand. Donated food and beverages were served free.
Children had the opportunity to be fingerprinted so their parents could keep a record of them for future reference.
Responders had smoke detectors available and various agencies had information available.
McGruff the crime dog also greeted people.
The fire safety house, owned by the Deer Lake and West Brunswick Fire Company No. 1, was a popular attraction for children and their parents.
Shay Strencosky, 4, of Port Carbon, went in the fire safety house and his mother, Jennifer Strencosky, went with him.
Mike Stank, captain of the Good Intent Fire Company, and Tom Whitaker, of the Yorkville Hose Company, offered safety tips for children and then asked questions.
Stank asked youngsters what number they should dial if there is a fire.
"911," said Shay Strencosky.
Stank said that was correct.
If you are able, "You run out of the house. You do not go back in no matter what," Stank said.
The children and their parents then went to another room inside the safety house that represented a bedroom.
Whitaker had the children feel a door that was warm.
"Can you go out that way now?" he asked. The response was "No."
Children waited as fog simulating smoke entered the room. Whitaker said the children are not to hide but they should stand by a window so a firefighter can rescue them.
Children inside the safety house then exited via a window with firefighters helping them to the ground.
Strencosky said the experience of the house is helpful to children.
"It's nice because it helps the kids not be afraid and become more alert about what to look for," she said.
Riley Moran, 5, of Pottsville, also went through the house.
He said he learned "how not to touch hot things."
Mark Atkinson, city public safety director and firefighter, said he also was impressed with the turnout.
"Hopefully I believe that the community is taking their fire safety very seriously by the size of the turnout here. It really says a lot. Unfortunately, I think a lot of it is a result of a tragic incident.
"If we can save one life out of this display tonight, we've done our job," he said.
March said he would like to see the event held again next year.