Thousands of people from across northeast Georgia descended on the Habersham County Fairgrounds last night for the 8th Annual E-911 Children’s Fun Fest. The event, sponsored by the Habersham County E-911 Center, attracted kids and adults from throughout Habersham and neighboring counties. It was pure spectacle from start to finish as dozens of law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency service technicians, military servicemen and women and other public safety professionals turned out in force to throw what can best be described as one “hot” party.
Kids, and a few adults, too, came dressed in Halloween costumes. They were treated (no tricks, here) to Trunk or Treating, hayrides, interactive booths, simulators, safety demos and wrestling matches and got to explore helicopters, ambulances, Humvees and other emergency vehicles. You could see it in the their eyes, they were smitten. Kids oohed and aahed as local firefighters attacked a gas-fueled fire and they booed and cajoled as wrestlers took it down to the mat. Even adults got in on the action taking aim at emergency personnel in the dunking booth. Yes, it was action-packed and a whole lot of fun, but it was also a great opportunity for people in the community to meet the men and women who have dedicated their lives to serve, protect and defend them.
Organizers say they want the public – especially children – to get to know public safety professionals beyond the badge, the siren and flashing lights. They want them to understand that these professionals are their friends and neighbors who care about them and the community.
Clarkesville Fire Chief Jerry Palmer was among those on hand for last night’s event. He led teams of firefighters from throughout Habersham in the liquified petroleum (LP) tank fire simulation and training exercise. “It’s not training we get to do all the time so when we get the opportunity we want to jump on it,” Palmer says. “Tonight, the big plus is we get to show it to the community. We get to show them what we do as individuals and as a group.” He adds, “We probably influenced a couple of future firefighters tonight, so, it’s been a good night. It’s been a lot of fun.”
The firefighters at the fairgrounds Thursday are the same firefighters who battled a huge blaze in downtown Clarkesville back in March. That fire quickly swept through the conjoined buildings and destroyed several businesses. It would have been worse if not for the rapid response of local firefighters.
Catastrophies such as the Clarkesville fire are a reminder of the potential dangers public safety professionals face every day. That’s why training is so important. “This is not something you want to learn on the fly,” Palmer says.
Christy Sprinkle of Clarkesville knows a thing or two about living life “on the fly.” Her husband, Kevin, and son, Austin, are both firefighters. She says she prefers the controlled setting of last night’s burn to the uncontrolled fires they face on the job. “I know they go through a lot and can be called out at any moment, at any time of the day, to go through this.”
Sprinkle watched Thursday’s training exercise alongside another Clarkesville firefighter’s wife, Julie Poole. Poole’s husband, Jason, has been a firefighter for 15 years. Cradling their 7-month old daughter, Loralei, in her arms she says she sometimes worries about the dangers of his job but she’s confident he can handle it. “He’s well trained and he knows what he’s doing and the team he has working with him are awesome guys…I know that they have each other’s backs and it gives me comfort knowing that.”
Despite last night’s raging inferno or, more precisely, because of it, Habersham Central High School sophomore Tyler Coulter says he can’t wait to become a firefighter. Coulter is part of the Explorers program that helps prepare young people for public safety professions. He seems well-suited given that watching flames shoot up into the night sky and hearing the shrill, high-pitched whistle of the burning LP tank didn’t deter him. “It actually gets my adrenaline going,” Coulter says.
Coulter isn’t the only one. 9-year old Joel Standingcloud, 7-year old Caleb Cathey and his 4-year old brother Branson were mesmerized by the flames. They say they, too, might one day want to become firefighters. Their mom, Melissa Haynes of Alto, says she wouldn’t mind if they did, especially since there already are several firefighters in the family. And while the boys’ favorite part of last night’s event might have been the flame-throwing gas tank (and candy), Cathey says her favorite part of the E-911 Children’s Fun Fest is that it was free!. “It’s nice when you’ve got three little ones to have something like this that the community helps put on.” Day Segers of Clarkesville agrees, “I think it’s a blast! I think it’s good for the community to just kind of gather around and, you know, everybody kind of comes together as one. It’s really neat.”
More photos of the 8th Annual Habersham County E-911 Children’s Fun Fest
