Hundreds of Barrie residents attended the first ever pancake breakfast open house at Fire Station 1 on Dunlop Street West.
People gobbled up pancakes and sausage, children climbed on fire trucks and everyone learned about the profession at the final event of Fire Prevention Week 2017.
"Great way to end, so many members of our community here. It's all about reaching members of our community. Getting the fire safety message out and the theme this year is Two Ways Out: Every Second Counts," said Samantha Hoffmann, Public Fire and Life Safety Officer.
For one Barrie family in the crowd on Sunday, being at the open house had more meaning than most.
"Because we're here. Because of these guys. We're here because of them," said Dianne Kenney, who was with her husband Jason and two of their four children, Sami, 13 and Brandon, 20.
It was almost four years ago when Barrie Fire saved the lives of the Kenney family and a young person staying with them.
Dianne called 911 at the urging of her father after she smelled a burning odour coming from the furnace.
The furnace was old and hadn't been cleaned in a long time.
Fire Prevention Officer Julie Daer took the call and decided to send over a fire truck after Dianne described how the family was feeling 'kind of tired.'
"I said just don't do the lights blaring and everything," said Dianne. "So they sent a whole bunch of fire trucks and an ambulance because I think she felt herself it was more than just whatever that burning smell was. She thought maybe it was carbon monoxide but she didn't tell me. She didn't want to scare me."
Turns out the carbon monoxide readings in the home were extremely high.
Dianne, Jason, Sami, now 13, Brandon, 20 Jordan, now 15 and Shana 19 along with a fifth youth were all hustled out of the home by firefighters.
The Kenneys did have a carbon monoxide detector with a digital reading and battery back up but it was older and had stopped working, unbeknownst to them.
"We're alive to tell about it. It's so amazing. Barrie Fire is awesome! If it wasn't for Julie and Samantha Hoffmann came in afterwards, If it wasn't for Julie's sense of something was wrong. They really took care of us," said Dianne.