By Robert Kelly
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
Copyright 2006 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
HERCULANEUM, Mo. — A parade of fire engines and other emergency services vehicles on Saturday will mark the start of the 13th annual Jeffco Fire Engine Rally.
The parade along Highway 61-67 to the rally site at the Herculaneum Fairgrounds gets bigger every year, says Herculaneum Fire Chief Bill Haggard, who has helped organize the rally for years.
Several fire departments from throughout the St. Louis area will send equipment and firefighters to the rally. The parade will include their vehicles. It will start at 9 a.m. Saturday at the parking lot of St. Pius X Catholic High School in Festus and continue north on Highway 61-67 to the fairgrounds just off the highway at Herculaneum.
This year’s parade grand marshal is Jim Akers, a former De Soto fire chief. The junior grand marshal is Randy Baker of Troy, Mo., from the Burns Recovered Support Group of St. Louis.
The opening ceremony is at 10 a.m. at the fairgrounds. The activities will continue until 3 p.m., including: Competitions among area firefighters. Displays of both antique and modern fire equipment. Fire safety games for children. Appearances by Smokey the Bear, Fire Pup and Squirt the Clown. A crash car provided by the Missouri Highway Patrol, demonstrating the effects of a crash on dummies both wearing seat belts and unbelted.
Also, dozens of vendors will provide food, nonalcoholic drinks and information about fire safety and goods and products, Haggard said.
“We have more vendors than ever this year,” he said. “I’m trying to figure out where I’m going to put them all.”
An awards ceremony will be held shortly before the end of the rally. Plaques will be given to the winners of firefighters’ competitions.
All of the events are free, and there will be free parking at the fairgrounds.
Haggard says he expects that thousands of people could visit the rally throughout the day if the weather is good.
For information, call 636-789-9841 or 636-475-5476.