Deadwood, S.D. — The Deadwood Fire Department welcomed community members to its annual fall chili feed, a family‑friendly event designed to promote fire safety and provide practical assistance to residents.
Food, fun and fire‑safety education
Attendees enjoyed a menu of hearty chili, hot dogs and nachos with cheese, while firefighters ran hourly fire‑safety drawings for adults. Children and adults alike could climb aboard a fire engine for a short ride, giving kids a hands‑on glimpse of the department’s daily work.
Free smoke‑detector batteries
In addition to the food and entertainment, the department handed out free smoke detectors and replacement batteries to anyone who needed them. Chief Joel Ellis explained that the giveaway is a reminder to keep batteries fresh in both smoke and carbon‑monoxide detectors.
“There are so many people out there that don’t change their batteries in their smoke detectors or their carbon monoxide detectors, stuff like that. So we put this together at daylight‑saving time, we do the chili feed in the fall and our pancake feed in the spring, and it’s mostly a reminder to educate those people on why to get that done,” Ellis said.
Community impact
The event underscores the fire department’s commitment to safeguarding families and reinforcing the importance of home safety. By providing tangible resources—working detectors and fresh batteries—the department helps ensure that homes are better prepared for emergencies.
Local residents praised the initiative, noting that the free detectors are especially valuable for seniors and low‑income households that might otherwise delay replacement.
Looking ahead
Details about the next chili feed, as well as the department’s spring pancake feed, are posted on the Deadwood Fire Department’s social‑media channels. The department encourages anyone interested in attending future events to follow those pages for updates.
Through simple, community‑focused gatherings like this, the Deadwood Fire Department continues to blend hospitality with public‑service education, reinforcing a culture of safety that benefits every family in the Black Hills region.
Original reporting: KOTA (Gray) – local — read the source article.
