A shiny red fire engine caught the attention of children Tuesday morning as it pulled into the parking lot of the Ehrlo Housing Lakeshore Village property.

Firefighters from Regina Fire and Protective Services, Station 3, visited the residents of Lakeshore Village on July 30, to provide a brief, but informative, fire prevention program.

The community education program was arranged by Ehrlo Housing in efforts to keep people safe and informed, said Ryan Labatt, manager of Ehrlo Housing.

“The fire truck is obviously a big draw for the kids, but we do it for the fire prevention for the adults too,” he said outside of Lakeshore Village. “It’s just to make people more aware.”

Before allowing children the opportunity to sit in the fire truck, firefighters spoke about the importance of having an escape planning and meeting place in the case of a fire.

Captain Darren Boyer told the crowd of about two dozen people that all residents must know the emergency response protocol to ensure safety and the preservation of life and property.

Firefighters reminded residents not to leave stoves, ovens or candles unattended as they are often the greatest cause of house fires. Parents of young children were also advised to take extra precaution by storing matches and lighters in a safe place.

As mandated by legislation, smoke detectors at all Ehrlo Housing properties are tested every six months. Fire building alarms, drills and prevention programs are arranged once per year by Ehrlo Housing and conducted in cooperation with Regina Fire and Protective Services.