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The Great Falls Volunteer Fire Department earned the 1st Battalion’s Best Open House award for the second consecutive year after welcoming local families for hands-on safety demonstrations and emergency preparedness activities.

Fairfax County’s 39 fire stations held open houses Oct. 11, giving residents opportunities to meet firefighters and emergency medical personnel, explore equipment and learn about fire prevention and health measures.

This year’s National Fire Prevention Week theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home,” focused attention on the potential hazards posed by the rechargeable batteries. During the award presentation, Battalion Chief Ben Jenkins praised the Great Falls station’s activities for adults and children while discussing lithium-ion battery safety.

Children tested their skills on an obstacle course modeled after parts of a firefighter agility test. Participants pulled a fire hose, dragged a teddy bear serving as a rescue dummy and tried a wooden force machine firefighters call “The Keiser.”

Other activities taught children to stop, drop and roll and allowed them to spray a real fire hose at a display house. A quieter area offered board books, fire and rescue toys, coloring pages and stickers.

Sparky the Fire Dog posed for photos and handed out treats from an old-fashioned fire bucket. Families also toured an ambulance and fire truck.

For adults, the department offered free blood pressure checks. Volunteer emergency medical technicians demonstrated hands-only CPR, the American Heart Association’s method for bystanders.

Volunteer EMTs Leslie Smith and Sophia Wood, who co-chaired the event, said they wanted neighbors to feel welcome at their local fire station while receiving safety and emergency medical information in an approachable setting. They also encouraged residents to contact the department with questions about protecting their families.