Five-year-old Hal Yarn may not grow up to be a firefighter, but he took no time at all to demonstrate the right spirit for it. Grabbing the hand of Jefferson City Fire Chief Bud Siderits, the boy headed for the fires and said, “Let’s go.”
The youngster, a New Yorker, was only one of many children excited about the Ninth Annual Jefferson City Community Day and Kid’s Day at the Firehall held Saturday, August 12, at the community center and fire- hall. Visiting his grandparents, he was joined at the event by kids from Helena, East Helena, Montana City, Clancy, Boulder, Butte, Jefferson City, and another traveling grandchild from San Diego.
The annual event included a chance for participants to practice extinguishing fires, shoot water from fire hoses at targets, visit with firefighters and check out the fire trucks and gear. “Knowing what a firefighter looks like in their bunker gear and air tanks while they are crawling into the room shouting, ‘Firefighter, come to me,’ brought out that the firefighter is your friend, coming to rescue you,” said Chief Siderits.
The highlight of the day for some children was an opportunity to share a fire hose with Smokey the Bear. Aiming at wooden targets set on posts on the community center lawn, Smokey impressed youngster (except for some of the youngest who cried over the stranger) by knocking over one target after another. Also on hand was Dave Nunn, USFS Fire Control Officer with the Townsend Ranger District, to offer fire safety information.
Besides the fire-related activities, participants were greeted by hamburgers and hot dogs and other food and by vendors. The Boulder American Legion Post #46 was on hand to show off a 60-year-old miniature railroad engine formerly from the Montana Developmental Center which the group is working to restore.
Also on display was metal art by Dave Hanks of Jefferson City and health information from the Boulder health clinic. Siderits said the gathering was a fine time to sit down in the fire hall and get to know neighbors over a snack and celebrate what it means to be a community.
