Back to school Monday held a special surprise for children in grades one through five recently at the Ethel McKnight School in Twin Rivers.
Organizers of the annual “Field Day” event thought the kids might like to see some fire apparatus “up close and personal,” and East Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. 2 was happy to make it happen.
And so were the kids.
The big, bright yellow fire trucks lined up with their hose lines and nozzles stretched into the field as students took turns spraying water at a rubber ball placed atop a traffic cone. Once they knocked it over, they raced over to it, moved to the next level and placed the ball back as the next member of the team did the same. It wasn’t long before even the firefighters guiding the teams started to show their competitive side.
Everybody got a little wet – along with experiencing lots of giggles and smiles.
The volunteer firefighters who took part from Station 46, headquartered on Twin Rivers Drive, ranged from a member sworn-in just the night before to veteran members with more than 15 years service.
“It’s all about the kids,” said Fire Co. 2 Chief Steve Genthe. “We get to the parents through them, teaching them fire safety and realizing that all of our firefighters are their neighbors.”
Many of the students had never been close to a fire truck before, and a number of them said they wanted to be firefighters when they grow up, according to the chief.
As Station 46 prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary, the next 40 years may just see some of these future first responders riding along, too.
