East Holmes celebrates 50 years of community unity and service with fireman's festival

East Holmes celebrates 50 years of community unity and service with fireman's festival
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As patrons dine, they will enjoy some live music and participate in the East Holmes Fire and EMS Auction, which will feature some special items including a quilt.

                        

to be a huge fire in Berlin on Saturday, July 21, and as usual the East Holmes Fire and EMS units will respond post-haste.

However, this fire is one that will be welcomed because the controlled burn will be a part of the 50th annual East Holmes Fireman’s Festival, held at Berlin Elementary.

For a half-century, the East Holmes Fire and EMS department has been a critical part of the East Holmes community. During that time they have responded to countless calls where selfless volunteers have stopped whatever they were doing, whether it was the middle of a work day or a relaxing evening with the family. These volunteers have sped to fires, accidents and disasters, not because they are paid to, but because they have made a commitment to the people of Holmes County to serve during the direst and most trying of times.

Each year the EH Fire and EMS members have cranked up the voltage in terms of food and entertainment to present the annual East Holmes Fireman’s Festival in Berlin.

This year marks a special moment for the organization, which will celebrate its 50th year in existence in what is sure to be a meaningful day and night of celebration.

According to assistant fire chief John Schlabach, he recently ran across the old charter membership roster of 19 members from 1968. At that time the department was working on having the public help raise $15,000 for a new fire engine.

Since then, while the commitment to serving community hasn’t wavered, many things have changed for the department.

“That amount of money might get you a new set of wheels for the truck now,” Schlabach said with a laugh. “Things have changed immensely over the years. We have a new fire house with 45 active members on a full roster who are willing to stop whatever they are doing and respond in times of need. That kind of selflessness reflects the community and shows how proud these people are to serve others in their community.”

That included responding to 650 calls last year, according to Schlabach.

The bond between community and fire and EMS department has been a tight one with each entity relying on the other for survival and aid. The public relies on the fire and EMS crews to respond and provide relief when trouble strikes while the department has come to the realization that they must have the undying support of the people of East Holmes in order to continue to provide the services they provide.

That has been why this event has become such an important and successful one over the years.

“It’s been something special. That’s for sure,” Schlabach said. “We can’t thank the community enough for turning out to attend this event and the incredible support we have received over the past 50 years. This is a time when we can all interact and celebrate together. This is truly a partnership, and when they come out and support us like this, it really means so much to us, especially for our morale. This is our way of giving back to them to let them know how much we do appreciate them.”

Berlin Elementary will be transformed on Saturday, July 21 into a sea of people who over the years have turned out for a spectacular day.

While the event has featured some spectacular water games that pit area fire departments against one another in games of skill with the fire hose over the years, there will be a new main attraction this year as they celebrate the 50th anniversary.

“We’ve gotten rid of the water games and are going to do a controlled burn as something special,” Schlabach said.

The department will set up a prop room that will include furniture and contents and take visitors through what a fire does to a home as they work to put it out.

Schlabach said it will be both entertaining and educational for the public. In addition there will be other local fire and EMS departments who will bring in equipment, and they are working on bringing in some antique fire equipment, some as old as the late 19th century.

On the ball diamond behind the school, barbecued chicken dinners will be available along with the department’s homemade ice cream, both of which will be made available on a donation basis. As patrons dine, they will enjoy some live music and participate in the East Holmes Fire and EMS Auction, which will feature some special items including a beautiful quilt.

Schlabach said the lineup of music is better than ever with local gospel/country band Small Town Roots, Indiana-based gospel team of the Amos Raber Family and Terry Lee Goffee, a Johnny Cash tribute band, highlighting the evening’s entertainment slate.

“Johnny Cash fans are going to love him,” Schlabach said of Goffee. “He dresses, looks and sounds just like Johnny Cash. It’s a really great lineup of live music for the night.”

The south side of the ball field will again be lined with large inflatables for the kids along with some entertaining games. With a huge crowd expected, the committee has brought in three additional food vendors in Byler’s BBQ, Keating’s Concessions and Rosemary’s, which will provide plenty of great dining pleasure in addition to the chicken barbecue.

There also will be plenty of safety information available in the EMS Safety Coalition tent, where there will be safety videos, videos of past runs the department has made and literature. Also in the tent will be raffle tickets for the gun raffle with more than a dozen guns being raffled off. Tickets will be available in the tent throughout the evening with a drawing at 9:30 p.m.

As the music fades and the gun raffle ends, the grand finale of the event will light up the night sky as everyone turns their attention to the south to get a grand view of the fireworks display that caps off this festive evening.

While fun and activity will be present throughout the day, Schlabach said the fire and EMS personnel will take every opportunity to thank everyone and anyone in attendance for allowing them to be a part of this special relationship between department and community.

Of last year, Eli Hochstetler, president of the Berlin Main Street Merchants, said seeing so many people milling about is the result of the local people showing their understanding and appreciation for everything the fire department does for them.

“And it is a two-way street because the department really appreciates this community,” Hochstetler said. “Over and over again we have seen such great support, and that is this community.”

While this event has grown in popularity over the years, this celebration of 50 years of commitment to community and the department and community relying on one another to thrive should be something extra special.


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