REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- On a beautiful day in Rehoboth Beach, what better way to spend it than learning about fire safety.
The Rehoboth Volunteer Fire Company had many free giveaways and provided information to the public on what to do if a fire starts in their homes. People were also able to walk through their museum which showcases over 110 years of history.
Although the pandemic is going on, RBVFC Public Information Officer Warren Jones and other leaders wanted it to be known that they are here to serve the beach town and want people to be informed on what to do when a fire starts and what tools can help in that situation.
"People have to understand that a majority of fires start in the home," Jones said. "The more they do as far as smoke detectors and sprinkler systems the better off they are going to be."
Michael Wilson of the National Fire Sprinkler Association gave a demonstration on sprinklers and how effective they can be in homes that are on fire. One of the misconceptions that some people have is that excessive smoke is what causes the sprinklers to activate, be he explained it is excessive heat that allows the sprinklers to go off.
People stuck in a fire want to avoid a point called flashover which occurs three to five minutes from when the fire starts. According to the sprinkler association, no one survives when a flashover occurs. Sprinklers increase the odds of escaping greatly.
"Fire sprinklers are by far the most important way of ensuring that you can get out of your house safely," Wilson said. "Smoke alarms, while they will alert you to a fire, they are not going to clear the way in the event a fire is blocking your way out."
Rehoboth Fire Company encourages everyone to be fire ready every day and shows that fire sprinklers save lives.