Despite the cold weather and gray skies, families gathered at Dr. John’s Playground, located at Gerritsen Avenue and Avenue X, on Sunday, June 15th, for another event in the Just for Kids series, presented by the Marine Park Alliance (MPA), celebrating Father’s Day as the Gerritsen Beach Volunteer Fire Department (known as the “Vollies”) showed off their newest fire engine to the community.
The Father’s Day event – “Inside a Fire Truck” – presented families with the opportunity to not only engage with themselves and other families but also share the experience of learning about a fire truck in a safe, calm environment, as well as see the tools firefighters use during a rescue.
Vollie Andrew McKenna led the tour of the new fire truck, explaining the components of the engine, such as the sirens, aerial ladder, hoses and nozzles and its very own water supply (holding up to 350 gallons of water). He also talked about the tools that are stored in the compartment, such as axes, air tanks, Halligan bars, hydraulic rescue tools, sled stretchers and helmets, among others.
“It’s a good opportunity to introduce people to the fire truck, especially since it’s relatively new,” McKenna said. “It’s a good opportunity for parents too, especially if they live in the neighborhood, to see that this is a service that’s offered. We’re the only neighborhood in Brooklyn that has a volunteer fire department, so I think it’s good, especially since the neighborhood’s changing and new people that aren’t familiar with it can learn about our department and learn that there’s opportunities, not only for them to volunteer and help out their community, but also to further gain skills themselves.”
The Vollies was founded in 1922; for more than a century, its crew has grown to include 30 dedicated volunteers who answer over 500 calls per year, protecting life and property in the Gerritsen Beach area. The Vollies operate a fleet of four fire and EMS apparatus, as well as the new fire truck, which families photographed and children got the chance to sit in the passenger seat and turn on the sirens.
Parents got to spend quality time with their children and discover their interests.
“It’s great seeing what people in the community do, and my son’s been very interested in cars and fire trucks lately, so I think it’s just quite an opportune time to be able to spend some time with my son and with something that he likes,” Ben Pib said.
“It’s one of our annual highlights and part of our Just For Kids program series and a great opportunity for kids and families to meet the first responders that keep us all safe,” Yamin Krumm, an MPA board member, said. “It’s also an opportunity to learn some tips about what to do in the case of a fire or other emergency, how to safely evacuate and how to alert first responders so they can come.”
The next Just for Kids event – “Movie Under the Stars: Under the Boardwalk” – will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 26th, at the Carmine Carro Community Center, 3000 Fillmore Avenue. Families are encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring a blanket.
