WQIO Ohio's Super Station
COLUMBUS, Ohio — All Ohioans are invited to the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal’s campus on Saturday, Sept. 13 for fun, education and celebration as the Division hosts its annual Fire Marshal Festival. The free, family-friendly event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Division’s campus located at 8895 E. Main St. in Reynoldsburg. Free parking is available on site.
The Division hosts the event each year to celebrate the courageous members of Ohio’s fire service, educate Ohioans of all ages about the importance of fire safety, and highlight the Division’s role in protecting communities. The festival also serves as a homecoming for Ohio Fire Academy alumni to see how the campus is evolving and growing to meet the needs of tomorrow. Special this year, the event will celebrate the Division’s 125th anniversary, showcasing its role in protecting and educating Ohioans since it was established in 1900.
“We look forward to this event each and every year because it’s an opportunity for us to open our gates and interact with members of our community, many of whom likely don’t realize all that takes place on our campus,” said State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. “We invite everyone to come out to our campus to have fun, learn about fire safety, and explore all of the things we do at the State Fire Marshal to help keep Ohioans and their families safe!”
In addition to educational programming, the event will feature numerous interactive activities, demonstrations and training exercises, including:
· Touch-a-truck with fire engines
· K-9 training exercises and demonstrations
· Meet and greet with Sparky the Fire Dog
· Fire safety demonstrations
· Helicopter landings
· Food trucks
· Inflatable bounce houses and obstacle course
· Face painting
· Character drawings
· Kiddie Combat Challenge with water hoses
Representatives from each of the Division’s bureaus will also be available to discuss their work. Those bureaus include Underground Storage Tanks, Code Enforcement, Fire & Explosion Investigations, Forensic Lab, Licensing & Certification, and the Ohio Fire Academy.