This year's FireFest Chatham-Kent will see a mixture of fun activities and safety education.
The festival's staple is the over 100 antique emergency vehicles on display in Downtown Chatham. On September 17, residents can also go through a number of exercises a real firefighter would do. There will be a distracted/impaired driving simulator, and a comprehensive firefighting obstacle course for kids.
A layout of the maze constructed for FireFest 2016, August 7, 2016 (Photo by Jake Kislinsky)
"When we hosted the Fire Combat Challenge in 2014, the lineup was all day long for the kiddie version," says Chair Brent DeNure. "This year it's called the First Incident Rescue Experience for little kids to get into gear, go into a "burning" building, pull out a rescue dummy, get a hose out and knock down a fire."
The festivities are being further extended into Friday, September 16. IMaze has set up a maze in Thamesville that looks like an antique fire truck. There will also be more activities for the kids, in what DeNure says is an attempt to expand the festivities.
"We feel as though our comfort zone is a day-and-a-half, Friday night and then Saturday," says DeNure. "Having said that, we're already in the planning stages for 2017, and that's looking to be a three or four-day event."
In addition to the classic vehicle showcase, Firesound, a Toronto band comprised entirely of professional firefighters, will headline the entertainment. There will also be performances from Stan the Musical Fireman and the Detroit Fire Department's Clown Team.
For more information on FireFest 2016, click here.