Sterling, Rock Falls fire departments to host fire safety awareness event

STERLING – Sterling and Rock Falls' fire departments are teaming up to host a fire safety awareness event Saturday, Jan. 11, at Sterling’s Northland Mall.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers and commemorative rubber ducks. A car seat technician will be available to answer questions and set up appointments for car seat safety inspections, and fire department personnel will be available to provide fire safety tips and help residents register their homes with the Community Connect software program.

Community Connect allows residents to share important information about their homes and businesses with their local fire departments, such as how many people and pets live in the home or building, utility shutoff and Knox Box locations and contact information. Sterling rolled out its Community Connect program in October and Rock Falls is preparing to launch its program next week.

The event at Northland Mall is thanks in part to Becca Mayberry, a Rock Falls woman who lost her family, except for one brother, during a house fire in January 2016. She said the home had smoke detectors on both floors but the family had removed the batteries from the detector on the bottom floor — a move that Mayberry feels is all too common in many homes.

“I fell asleep at my boyfriend’s house watching a movie, and I had every intention of going home, and it just didn’t happen,” Mayberry said. “I look at that as I was kind of given a second chance. I wanted to reach out now and help the community in any way and help prevent any family from going through what I went through. So, I reached out to the chiefs to see what we could put together.”

Both Rock Falls and Sterling’s fire departments offer year-round public education and safety programs, including:

• Business inspections
• Fire extinguisher classes
• Fire Safety House demonstrations
• Fire safety talks
• Smoke detector safety talks
• Fire safety for kindergarten
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Sparky the Fire Dog
• Residential Knox Boxes

For more information, call the Sterling Fire Department at 815-626-0154 or call the Rock Falls Fire Department at 815-622-1135.