DENVER (KDVR) – Fire awareness and prevention are the cornerstones of fire reduction. That was the message today from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control at the Auraria campus in Denver.

They were there to raise fire safety awareness. Fire departments from around the metro area gathered at the Auraria campus to play some tunes, chat it up, and catch some sweet rays for a very specific reason.

“The reason we are having this event is to present community risk reduction to college students at the Auraria campus,” said Chief Chuck Altvater of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

Displays, some interactive, were designed by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control to raise awareness for students and hopefully, some questions as well.

“We want them to ask about how you acquire data, assess risk in our community, and what some of the programs are we are applying to reduce the risk in the community,” said Altvater.

Conversations were mostly between firefighters, attendance was low, but some students felt a connection.

“I think it’s cool. I grew up around the fire department. My grandpa was the fire marshal and chief of Gunnison,” said one student.

“Of course, I care about fire safety, I want everybody to be safe, I actually was almost a fireman back in Georgia,” said another.

The main attraction of the one-day event was a controlled fire in a specially made trailer demonstrating how easily fires can spread.

That sparked an interest in the students and that is a good start.