TodayFirefighters' convention comes to Mt. Holly Springs
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Article RatingThe hundreds of firefighters gathered yesterday in Mt. Holly Springs weren't rescuing someone from a burning building, dousing flames with a torrent of water or even saving a cat stuck on a tree limb.
The firefighters were there to party, not work.
Volunteer firefighters from across Cumberland County and surrounding counties convened at the Citizens Fire Co. station in Mt. Holly Springs for the Cumberland County Volunteer Firefighters Association's 80th annual convention to celebrate the firefighters' commitment to saving lives - for free.
Bob Horning, the incoming president of the Cumberland County Volunteer Firefighters Association, said the convention was a good way to experience the comradery of fellow firefighters and take a break from the sometimes life-saving work of a firefighter.
“It's a good time for people to come and unwind,” he said.
A good time for all
Dave Collins, president of Citizens, said he enjoys seeing all the county's many fire companies having a good time together.
“It's a great way to get the whole county together,” Collins said. “Everybody looks forward to the convention.”
Nearly 100 fire trucks, ambulances and ladder trucks, including several classic trucks from as far back as the Depression, paraded through the heart of Mt. Holly Springs as part of the convention. The firefighters then gathered in the fire station's garage and outside on the street to eat, drink and admire the row of parked fire trucks.
And before the parade, each vehicle was judged based on its cleanliness, breadth of equipment and the knowledge of its crew - essentially an attempt to gauge how well that engine would do in an actual fire.
Although they are be brothers in arms, or maybe because of it, the competition between the neighboring fire companies can be fierce, according to Collins.
“The competition is very competitive,” Collins said. “There's a huge amount of pride there.”
Horning agreed.
“Everybody is here to win,” he said.
The convention was especially pointed because volunteer firefighters are becoming increasingly difficult to recruit in Cumberland County and across the nation, Collins said. He said the average age of volunteer firefighters continues to rise as younger men and women no longer seem interested in signing up.
“It's very tough,” Collins said. “More and more volunteers are not signing up.”
Some of the larger fire companies in the county, including Carlisle, have hired professional firemen as drivers.
The convention officially concludes on Thursday as the new officers for the Cumberland County Volunteer Firefighters Association are inducted.
