In giving the station the lead role in the parade, the committee is recognizing both the firefighters and the station's connection to the history of the parade, said Betsy Lafferty, a member of the parade's board of directors. The Towson parade boasts the distinction of being one of the oldest Independence Day parades in Maryland, with photos of the fire department's celebration dating to the early 1900s.

Michael Ruppert, one of four captains at the station, will march in the parade while, as the fire engine will follow, flashing its lights and blowing its siren.

The parade will start at 10:30 a.m. with a flyover by jets of the Air National Guard. The route runs from the corner of Bosley and Burke avenues, in front of Towson University, then heads north on Bosley to Allegheny Avenue, and back south on Washington Avenue. The parade ends at Washington and Towsontown Boulevard, only a few steps from the American Legion Towson Post 22.

With the aid of the Fire Museum of Maryland and the Baltimore County Public Library system, Lafferty found vintage photographs of the Towson Fire Company's Independence Day celebrations dating to 1910. In one, photos of political candidates hang from the firehouse windows and American flags are raised from nearby buildings. A combined horse-drawn wagon and chemical fire engine are getting ready to roll, as the parade is beginning.

The incident happened about 4 p.m. Monday at the firehouse near Wells and Van Buren streets. Maegan Kurtz, 26, now charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, rode up on a Divvy bike and ignored the 56-year-old fireman's efforts to stop her. They exchanged words, according to prosecutors, and Kurtz allegedly slapped the firefighter in the face.

City Council recently approved $240,752 refurbishment of Engine 16, the Fire & EMS Division’s 1995 Pierce fire engine, pending a full mechanical inspection of the vehicle. Fire Chief Jonathan Westendorf said if the fire engine passes that inspection, it will go through the refurbishment that is expected to take about three months after it’s received by the manufacturer.

Westendorf told council that officials believe the vehicle is mechanically sound, but many of the vehicle’s components are showing age and deterioration from 20 years of heavy use. He said refurbishing the fire truck could add 10 to 15 more years of service to the city.

“We feel there’s still a lot of value in this truck,” he said. “The truck has to be upgraded per NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) regs (regulations). It can’t be released back to the city without the required upgrades.”

Westendorf said refurbishing the truck would be more cost effective as it costs $475,000 to $500,000 to buy a new fire truck and that it would take about 12 months to have it delivered to the city. He said all of the fire trucks in Franklin’s fleet average about 20 years of age as the city has kept up on vehicle maintenance.