CHARLOTTESVILLE (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Oct. 4-11 marks Fire Prevention Week, sponsored by the National Fire Prevention Agency (NFPA), and Albemarle County Fire Rescue is once again getting the community involved with a schedule chalk full of events.

The week will begin with the Kickoff Event at the 5th Street Station this Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The week will continue with 14 events between Monday and the following Saturday, Oct. 11, culminating with the Grand Finale at Hollymead Square, also from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

This year’s theme focuses on lithium-ion battery safety. The department here in Albemarle is also hoping to highlight its recently launched Community Connect service, which allows community members to share details about their home that could be useful during an emergency on a secure network that is only accessible to the department.

In addition to the events, Albemarle County Public Schools will also be sending kids in Pre-K though 5th Grade home with a scavenger hunt card which kids can fill out by answering trivia questions, completing special “missions” and attending events throughout the week. Those who complete the scavenger hunt can win prizes from participating local businesses.

“The goal behind these prizes is that we want the scavenger hunt card to be completed with their families, with their parents or caregivers,” Captain Gilbert Monroe, Assistant Fire Marshal, said, “and that the prizes will give them something the caregivers and the child can go out and do together.”

Monroe has been in charge planning this week’s events for Albemarle County Fire Rescue. He encouraged all families to come out to the events, particularly highlighting the kickoff and Touch-a-Truck events as great for kids, with the storefronts more geared toward parents.

In previous years, Monroe said the events have been packed with people from the community. But he added the important part is not how many people show up, but how much time the department gets speaking and answering questions from each individual.

“Our goal is to prevent accidents or injuries from happening,” Monroe said, “or at least educating people to know what to do in case something does happen.”

Monroe said these types of events are important because the department wants to get out and meet the people they serve. He said community events like these are stress-free for the firefighters, as there are no emergencies going on and it allows them to be “more human, more personal.”

“Normally when we see people out in the public, it’s when they call 911,” he said. “They’re having a bad day. Something’s wrong. A vehicle wreck, a fire, someone’s sick, someone’s injured, and we are courteous, we are friendly but we are on a mission.”

All of this week’s events are open to the public, with Monroe encouraging community members to come to events with questions and to visit the department’s website for more fire safety information.