In honor of National Emergency Medical Services Week, the Ankeny Fire Department will be hosting the Ankeny Fire Department EMS Week Open House and a Special Needs Open House. Both events will be held at the Ankeny Fire Department Headquarters located at 120 NW Ash Drive in Ankeny.
Fire Department EMS Week Open House
Wednesday, May 18, 6 - 8 p.m.
This Open House offers educational activities for all ages with a focus on safety and injury prevention. Visitors are invited to try on firefighter gear, escape from the fire safety house, spray water from a fire hose, practice bandaging and splinting, experience interactive safety displays and more! All activities are free and open to the public.
Fire Department Special Needs Open House
Tuesday, May 17, 6-8 p.m.
The Ankeny Fire Department is offering a special Open House for individuals with autism, special needs or disabilities, and their families. The following activities will be offered and have been modified for those with special needs:
- Meet Ankeny first responders in a fun, safe and sensory friendly way
- Families can explore a fire engine, police car and an ambulance and meet personnel on their terms, making future encounters less frightening
- Escape from the new fire safety house
- Tour the fire station
- Spray water from a fire hose
- Explore firefighters’ protective gear
- Make an emergency plan for your family
- Fire extinguisher and hands only CPR training available for family members
- Storytime
- Quiet and sensory friendly areas
- Other fire safety and educational activities
The following community partners also plan to participate in the Special Needs Open House: Ankeny Police Department, Iowa Department of Public Health EMS for Children, Autism Society of Iowa, Easter Seals, EveryStep Children at Home Program, Army Corps of Engineers and Polk County Sherriff's Office.
National Emergency Medical Services Week takes place from May 15 – May 21. This week serves as a designated time to celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation’s communities. Authorized by President Gerald Ford, National EMS Week was initiated in 1973.
For more information about the 2022 Fire Department EMS Week events, contact Karen Peters at 515-965-6478 or kpeters@ankenyiowa.gov.