Founded in 1922, the Town of Cary Fire Department celebrated its 100th Anniversary this weekend with events in downtown. On Friday, they hosted an outdoor movie night at Old Library Park with a showing of the firefighter family comedy, Playing With Fire (2019). Several attendees brought picnic blankets and lawn chairs for the occasion. In addition to the popcorn and lemonade were chalk drawings, firefighter suit-up stations, and two red firetrucks out to display.
We caught up with Tracy Williams, the Battalion Chief from Station 9, to talk about the anniversary celebration. She has been with the Town of Cary Fire Department for 19-years, and has worked in Fire and Rescue for 30-years.
“A lot has changed in the 100-years of fire serve and protection in Cary. From horse-and-buggy, as you saw into the parade, to now we can pin-point a GPS picture of a house before we arrive for a call,” said Tracy.
She added that one of the best parts of their job is the community in Cary, “being a firefighter in Cary, it’s more about the community than anything else. We are here to support our community and we focus on that a lot because we are here to help any way we can.”
Saturday, Chatham to Academy street were closed off to make way for the firetruck parade. A variety of vehicles from Wake and other nearby counties made their way down the road and showed off their different features; sirens, ladders, and color schemes. The parade was followed by a street party.
Firefighter friends from across the area joined in the parade as well including Benson, Dunn, Durham, Chapel Hill, Lillington and many more! Here are some of our favorite sights-and-sounds:
The official anniversary date is Monday, June 6th. On that day, all nine of the Town of Cary Fire Department stations will have an open house from 4 to 6 PM. Firefighters will be there to supply food and guided tours for those that stop by!
For more information about the Fire Department’s 100th Anniversary and related events, visit https://www.townofcary.org/services-publications/fire/cary-fire-department-100th-anniversary