Fire truck dedication a great event
IT WAS THE LARGEST
assembly of fire-fighting equipment in the village of Glenbeulah since the Fudgienuckles fire more than two years ago — but this time, it was a celebration and not a tragedy.
The Glenbeulah Fire Truck formally dedicated its newest piece of equipment — Engine No. 9 — Sunday with a public christening and wetdown ceremony in Village Park.
Trucks and firefighters from nine other fire departments — Batavia, Campbellsport, Cascade, Elkhart Lake, Greenbush, Plymouth, St. Cloud, Silver Lake and Waldo — took part in the festivities, attended by a large number of appreciative village residents.
After Glenbeulah firefighters doused the new truck with champagne, they and the truck were washed down by the hoses of all the visiting trucks, with sirens blaring and lights flashing. That was followed by refreshments, including a cake with the first piece ceremonially cut using a clean ax from the village’s first piece of fire equipment, a 1932 Dodge pumper.
The ceremony is one that’s only been seen three times in the last decade in the county — in 2004 in Silver Creek and 2001 in Random Lake.
It was a proud occasion for the firefighters and for Glenbeulah village residents. Any chance to celebrate and honor the brave, selfless men and women who volunteer as firefighters to protect their families, friends and neighbors is welcome and fitting.
It was a celebration, first of all, of the commitment of the residents of the village of Glenbeulah and their village government to the men and women who serve and protect them, who make the commitment and sacrifice to join the fire department. They need and deserve the kind of support that the new engine represents.
More importantly, Sunday was a celebration of the Glenbeulah Volunteer Fire Department, and of volunteer firefighters everywhere.
They risk their lives to keep all of us safe and protected, with little or no compensation. They may spend just a few hours each month answering fire calls, but they devote many countless hours in training and education to ensure that they can do their job the best they can, which is important to each and every one of us.
Congratulations to the Glenbeulah Fire Department on their newest piece of equipment and their continuing commitment to serve and protect, and to the entire village for their support of their firefighters.
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