Berlin will bring new life to fire co. parade

The Maryland State Firefighters’ Association and the Town of Berlin — once people see the trucks, cars and specialty vehicles, as well as the marching units from 150-160 volunteer fire companies and departments, they will wonder why the annual parade hasn’t been held here every year.

Because the parade is a highlight of the association’s annual assembly in Ocean City, it made logistical sense to stage the event there on Baltimore Avenue, close to the conference’s headquarters at the convention center.

But from the perspective of mood, image and atmosphere, as the parade’s muscular red, yellow and green firefighting apparatuses roll up road, Baltimore Avenue had ceased to be the right place years ago.

The redevelopment of that corridor eliminated that traditional feel, and if there’s one thing that a parade of fire trucks is, it’s traditional. That’s why the pairing of the annual parade and the Town of Berlin is going to make this event the special attraction it used to be.

Berlin, as has been demonstrated repeatedly, knows how to throw a party and having a parade that brings its own spectators — the friends and families of association members — is a fantastic way to get one started.

Add to that fans of ladder trucks, pumpers, tankers, rescue and other specialized apparatus and the one guarantee organizers of the event and town officials will have is that the parade is going to draw a big crowd.

As this week’s story points out, the Maryland State Firefighters’ Association is the only state firefighters’ association on the East Coast that still hosts an annual parade, and its members hope that moving it to Berlin will keep the tradition alive.

A traditional parade taking place on a traditional main street in a town that fosters that traditional image should do better than merely keep the event alive. We expect this change of location will breathe new life into the parade and allow it to thrive for years to come.