Despite the dreary weather, plenty of people turned out for the Wareham Fire Department's annual open house, where kids and families learned about fire safety, and got to watch a parade of emergency vehicles roll down Main Street.

"This year's the kick off for the fire department," for National Fire Safety Month, according to Wareham Fire Chief Robert McDuffy.

The event was sponsored by Papa Gino's.

"The goal is to get the education out there, to get fire education to people of all ages," McDuffy said adding "we cater to the needs of the community."

At the event, kids learned about how to plan escape routes,  and how to crawl safely through a smoke filled room.

Firefighters keep an eye on the smokehouse while kids learn to drop to the ground and crawl under the rising smoke to safety.

The Wareham fire house was crammed with kids running around, eating pizza, doing arts and crafts and learning while having a great time.

While the event itself was cheerful and a great way to reach out to the community, it came on the heels of the passing of Onset Fire Chief Howard Andersen.

Andersen was a firefighter from the age of 15, serving as a firefighter for 43 years, 16 of them as chief.

"This is a very bittersweet day," said McDuffy. "He's a man who gave 100% all the time for his whole career, and now he's at rest."

"We would like to send a message to the Onset Fire Department that we're there for them if they need anything, and their families."