Annual Fire Engine Parade circles the city
In addition to the military tattoo, the carnival road march and the concerts, another staple of September is the annual fire engine parade. Every year, the fire service inspires the imagination of kids who line city streets or follow on their decorated bicycles, with the bright lights and loud sirens of the red trucks. Kenneth Mortis, the Fire Department’s Training Officer, says that the family oriented event starts tonight at seven from its headquarters on Cleghorn Street in Belize City.
Kenneth Mortis, Training Officer, Fire Department
“It leaves from in front of the Fire Service Compound on Cleghorn Street. It will take routes through the principal streets of Belize City which will lead us to some of the streets behind the Lake Independence Area. We will cover streets, downtown Albert Street. We will take some into the King’s Park Area around the Princess Margaret Drive. And after about an hour and a half, two hours of parading through the streets in Belize City, we will conclude here at the starting point.”
Jose Sanchez
“Why is this traditional event a significant part of the celebrations?”
Kenneth Mortis
“From as far back as I could remember, the fire engine parade has always been a part of the September celebrations. And, umm, it is something that both the young and the old look forward to. It’s the attraction of the lights, the sirens, the spare of the trucks. The trucks are parked here every day at the station, but to have all the trucks on that one particular night in a parade that is something that has been looked forward to by both young and old.”
Jose Sanchez
“Is it just something for the kids or do you see father and sons and daughters—is it a family event also?”
Kenneth Mortis
“For the years I’ve been here and the years I’ve been a part of the fire engine parade, I’ve seen young and old. They just line the streets looking forward to the fire trucks coming down their way, you know and the kids are just pretty much fascinated by the lights and sirens.”
Mortis says that anyone following the parade should not ride too closely behind the trucks. After passing through the main streets of the city, the parade ends at the fire station.
