FLINT, MI - Firefighters were busy on Flint's north side Wednesday, May 13, fighting fires before they happen.

They were taking a shoestring approach toward preventing them.

Around 1 p.m., seven firefighters from Station 6, at 716 W. Pierson Road, began canvassing the nearby neighborhood, talking with residents and reaching out to the community. Pamphlets and surveys in hand, they visited houses on Home Avenue near Sally Court.

"We want them to know us and be able to talk to us and tell us what they think," said Flint's Chief of Fire David Cox Jr. shortly before his crew hit the streets. "If it's good, bad or indifferent, we want to know."

Judging from the dozens of houses visited, the reaction seemed largely good.

"It's a good thing for them to do this when people are putting abandoned houses on fire everywhere," said Marcus Pace, 22, after talking with firefighters. "Usually, you hardly see the fire department. It's usually just ambulances and police around here."

Firefighters gave each person who answered their door two information pamphlets with fire department information, tips for preventing arson, frequently asked questions and home safety tips.

In addition, residents were encouraged to fill out a customer satisfaction survey and rate their experience with the department in categories such as competence, timeliness and professionalism of firefighters.

Chantal Cox, 48, said she appreciated firefighters approaching her with the information.

"I learned something I didn't know, and I'm going to pass it along," she said.

Chief Cox said his department began reaching out to the community by going door to door last summer, but this year those efforts will be ramped up substantially.

He said firefighters will be visiting homes five days a week, and he hopes to eventually visit every neighborhood in the city.

"Historically, people trust the fire department," he said. "We want to maintain that trust."

The chief said he believes making personal connections with the community has contributed to the decrease in arson.

He said there have so far been 107 structure fires in the city this year, when this time last year there were 144.

"Just look at Devil's Night," Cox said of the notoriously chaotic night. He said last year there were only a couple fires, while he remembers hundreds of fires on the same night in 1997.

Steve Cobb, district commander for the fire department, said the public is usually pretty receptive of their efforts.

"I think it's a good thing for our guys, too," he said, "to intermix with the public in a different way."

Firefighter Corey Palmer agreed, and said most people understand he and his crew are there to help.

"I'm here to serve regardless of whether they want to talk to me or not," he said. "If you have a fire, you're going to see me again."