Editor’s Opinion | Chris Mc Loone

I was born in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but moved to the suburbs just shy of my second birthday. I was a kid who loved fire trucks, and July 4 in Glenside was my day.

I would sit on my neighbor’s lawn with my red “Emergency!” helmet on and wave to the firefighters who went by on the trucks during the annual Independence Day Parade. Maybe once in a while they’d ring the bell for me or give a short blast of an air horn. That’s just Independence Day in my town. Later, my parents moved to a different house in our town—a house actually on the parade route. I didn’t have to leave my yard to watch the trucks.

There is another part of July 4 in my town, and that is lining the main drag with flags. As a kid, I’d wake up, and they were just there. I wasn’t awake when they went up and I wasn’t paying attention when they came down. I’m not sure my parents even knew who put them up every year. By the way, they go up on Memorial Day as well.

It wasn’t until my first 4th of July in Weldon Fire Company that I understood that we are the ones who put them up, along with Glenside Fire Company on the “other side of the tracks.” Naturally, given family obligations, I’ve missed a few over the years, but I’ve made more “flags up” and “flags down” details than I’ve missed. It was also these details that taught me a valuable lesson: If the flags up detail is set to begin at 7:30 a.m. and you get there at 7:30 a.m., the work is probably going to be almost done. Just get there at 7:00.

During the parades, it was quite an image turning onto the main drag, looking down the hill and seeing all the bystanders and the flags lining the street. I was thinking about all this recently because I was reading an article about another fire company that recently announced it would not be doing something similar in its district because of lack of funds for replacing and repairing the flags and flag poles. Another municipality not far from me announced it would not have its annual parade because of security concerns. I’m not sure I’d know what to do with myself on July 4 without the annual Glenside Fourth of July Parade.

Looking back over my time in the fire service and particularly Weldon Fire Company, the weeks leading up to July 4 and Independence Day itself have been some of my favorite times. These were weeks we’d spend a lot of time at the firehouse, enjoying the camaraderie that can only be experienced there. Believe it or not, I look back with fondness on the blisters on my fingers from polishing diamond plate with Flitz and Never Dull, sometimes until late hours. Independence Day parades have been our chance to showcase our rigs. One of the parades is a judging parade, and we always look forward to bringing home a trophy—or two or three. Winning “Best Appearing Company” is a particular source of pride.

I don’t participate in as many parades as I used to. Looking back, I used to really enjoy driving in the parades, and there is a new generation of drivers that deserves the opportunity. And, there are only so many seats on the trucks, and I do not want to take one away from a newer firefighter just starting in the parades. And, it’s also fun to witness the enthusiasm newer fire company members bring to the entire process and to watch them take pride in the work they do to prepare all the trucks inside and out for the parades—but also for the rest of the year. Our rigs are an expression of our pride in our fire companies, the fire service, and our equipment and are the most visible example of that pride.

If you’re parading this year, enjoy every minute, especially the work nights leading up to it. There’s nothing better than stepping back on parade day and seeing the results of all your work.

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