Before the largest Firefighter's Parade in the universe, most of the fire companies gather to compete against each other in certain areas of preparedness. The public is invited to observe and experience the trucks up close. This truck is privileged to display the actual "9-11" Flag which was flying at the World Trade Center at the time of the attacks over ten years ago.
The boys attended on scooters and skateboards.
One vehicle was open for the kids to climb into.
The trucks were being judged on cleanliness which certainly must be next to Godliness in the duties and priorities of a firefighter.
Later that evening we attended the parade and saw the 9-11 flag carried unfurled through the streets. I read in the newspaper that many individuals have sewn "stitches" into this flag to refurbish it back to good condition after it was so severely damaged.
We watched the parade with many of our cousins and saw other cousins while we were there! One sight that we didn't enjoy was "Fanny" who didn't budge an inch after she got her vantage point!
This year, due to overwhelming public demand, they allowed one whole section of the parade to put on their flashing lights and screech their sirens continuously! That was kind of scary- it was SO loud that the babies had to have their ears covered. It made you think that something really big was going on.
This parade is a chance for the dedicated firefighters from all over the area to show off their trucks and equipment and for all of us to show them how much we appreciate their hard work and the many sacrifices they make in order to protect our homes and families.
