Rock Fire Protection District’s new firetruck was a popular attraction during a recent open house, spokeswoman Alyson Rotter said.
About 250 people attended the open house May 2 at House 5 in Arnold with many of them exploring the 2026 Pierce Velocity pumper truck that the district received March 30. Mike Shafferkoetter, Rock Fire assistant chief of operations, said the district paid $1,043,000 for the truck.
“People seemed to really like that and the color change,” Rotter said of the firetruck, which is still painted in the district’s traditional green but has a dark gray accent instead of white. “I think that was the showstopper.”
Last year, about 120 people attended the open house when it was held at House 1, which also is in Arnold.
“It was very successful,” Rotter said of this year’s open house. “We had a lot of community involvement. I think this was the biggest year that we had a lot of kids show up. We did a lot of safety lessons with them, which I think are impactful.”
Along with Rock Fire’s new truck, the district had a boat and another firetruck out for people to explore. There also were vehicles from the Arnold Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Rock Township Ambulance District.
“It is important to show the community that we never work alone,” Rotter said. “We always work with one of these other agencies, and we are all really a team. Having people be able to see our equipment but also the equipment that is coming with us is impactful.”
Rock Fire provided free beverages and snacks, and the district handed out tickets for a free Kona Ice shaved ice during the event.
Along with members of the fire and law enforcement agencies, there were representatives from the Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson County 911 Dispatch, Alzheimer’s Association, SSM Hospital and National Fire Sprinkler Alliance at the open house.
“It is important to show those community partnerships,” Rotter said. “We want the community to know if they need something, we have those resources. We can help people get information from different organizations. If they contact our public education division, we can help them get those resources that they need. Showing those connections is important for our community members.”
Firefighters gave tours of House 5, and Rotter, who is Rock Fire’s public education coordinator and public information officer, and public education specialist Joycie Gonzalez-Meyer held demonstrations about home hazards and safe escapes from a fire in a home in Rock Fire’s safety trailer.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s rollover simulator was at the event, and it used a mannequin to simulate what happens to someone inside a pickup cab that spins at about 35 mph.
The National Fire Sprinkler Alliance made a presentation about the importance of sprinkler systems in homes.
The organization had a trailer that was set up with near identical rooms with curtains, furniture and other items. One room had a sprinkler system, and the other did not.
A fire was started in each room, showing how quickly a blaze may destroy a home and how sprinkler systems may curb the damage.
“I think the biggest one was the (National Fire Sprinkler Alliance) sprinkler room,” Rotter said. “Everybody seemed to enjoy that and take away a little knowledge of sprinklers, what can catch on fire, how hot it gets and how fast the fire took off in the unprotected room.
“We had our fire safety lessons in the trailer with the kids. We give that information to them, and they take it home and are able to prevent things from happening. They also share that knowledge with their family. I think some good information was given, and hopefully, people can use that to prevent things from happening in the future.”
Rotter said Rock Fire plans to hold an open house next year in either late April or early May. She said the district has not determined which of its five houses will hold next year’s open house.
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