All afternoon at the River Road Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department’s open house on Sunday, children shouted "Hey Mom, hey Dad, there’s a fire truck!" Children of all ages gazed with rapture on the giant vehicles gleaming in the afternoon sun. Volunteer and career firefighters, EMTs and medics, some dressed in their fireproof gear, showed off their equipment, held babies and answered questions from the steady stream of families. It was the kind of event that offers local parents and kids a chance to see first-hand the equipment and manpower that goes into the response team’s efforts.
Demonstrations of rope rescue, escape route planning, putting out a kitchen fire and the ever-popular car accident rescue were informative, but also entertaining enough to grab the attention of the smallest wiggly child. As the rescue began, firemen in gear arrived on fire trucks and jumped off to pry open the demo car and rescue the demo driver. Little hands flew to ears in anticipation. But few missed the meaning of what took place and it was an education worth remembering.
Round out the day with a moonbounce, some cotton candy, a hot dog or two, and all deemed it a success, especially those parents carrying their tired children home, pink and yellow-smeared from the sticky snacks.