(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Fire Department is hosting a free-will donation breakfast at the fire station (1203 SW 7th St .) this Sunday morning. The event from 7-a.m. until Noon, kick’s-off donations for the department’s annual Fire Prevention Week. Atlantic Firefighter Jake Vetter says the week culminates next Saturday (Oct. 14th), with the Annual Fireman’s Parade, the preparation for which began several months ago.

Sunday’s breakfast will be served by the firefighters.

Fire Prevention week will see firefighters and some of their equipment appearing at local schools to share information about fire safety.

He says the hope is that the kids will take what they’ve learned back home to their parents, and make sure the adults have fresh batteries in their smoke detectors, which are the first line of defense to fighting and escaping the flames. It’s recommended you test your alarms at least once a month to ensure they are working properly, and replace the batteries in your smoke alarm every six months. The detector itself should be replaced at least every ten years.

The theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week is “Cooking Safety Starts with You.”

Vetter says a person’s life was recently saved when they used a fire extinguisher in the kitchen to put out a cooking flare-up. There have also been fires associated with outside grills placed on decks. The October 14th Fireman’s Parade in Atlantic begins with participants lining-up at 4-p.m. at 3rd and Olive Streets, and the parade getting underway at 6-p.m. It features a precision drill team, clowns, local marching bands, candy for the kids, and more.