Concert timing highlights fire safety events

The Solon Springs Volunteer Fire Department has about 20 members, including five medical first responders. They cover 87 square miles in the town and village of Solon Springs, and respond to about 120 calls per year, according to Fire Chief John Walt. Whatever amount is raised at the concert, he said, “we’ll put it to good use.”

Right now, the department is working to raise enough money for a new tanker truck. The 1986 tanker in use now, Walt said, is old enough to have collector’s plates on it. When asked about the concert, he said he appreciated the star power Mitch Blaylock is bringing in for Saturday’s concert.

“Being able to bring a little bit of my success and friends in television back to Solon Springs means the world to me,” Blaylock said. “If we all can give back even just a little, this world will start to change in big ways.”

The department is a vital part of the community.

“They are there for everyone,” Blaylock said. When that phone rings, no matter if it’s dinner time or Christmas, the firefighters run out to help.

The concert also helps kick off Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 7-13.

“We take the week very seriously,” Walt said, as a time to reach out to children in schools and highlight the importance of fire safety in the home.

In addition to meeting with classes, the fire hall will hold an open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 12 at 11517 Cemetery Road. Everyone community is invited to visit the fire hall and consider volunteering. The department is also looking for new members.

“Our doors are always open to someone who wants to see what the volunteer firefighter life is like,” Walt said.

Tags: douglas county, public safety, solon springs, news, entertainment, fire