Family Tides
From climbing into fire trucks to spraying real hoses, families can enjoy hands-on fun when the Bargaintown Volunteer Fire Company #2 opens its doors for its annual open house on Monday, Oct. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The free community event welcomes neighbors of all ages to enjoy family-friendly activities, learn about fire safety and meet the firefighters who serve their community. Since launching the open house in 2021, the event has provided an opportunity for firefighters to connect with residents and highlight their work in a fun, interactive way.
“This kind of started a few years ago as a way for us to just get out and interact with the community,” said Anthony Colacurcio, lieutenant with the Bargaintown Volunteer Fire Company. “We had such a great response the first year, and we’ve gotten great responses every year after.”
During the open house, visitors can tour the fire station, including its 9/11 memorial, which features a piece of recovered steel from ground zero of the World Trade Center, and explore fire engine, rescue vehicle and forest fire truck displays. The event will also offer opportunities to learn about the company’s Fire Auxiliary and its community fundraisers, as well as enter a raffle for a YETI cooler, with proceeds supporting the department.
Kids can look forward to climbing aboard fire trucks and spraying water from a real hose, among other kid-friendly activities. Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog will make special appearances, and complimentary food and drinks will be available.
“The kids love getting in the fire trucks and getting pictures in the fire trucks — so we have a lot of fun doing that. All of this is also sort of focused around fire prevention and helping kids and children understand that ‘Hey, this guy in this equipment, if you see him, he’s not scary. He’s here to help you,'” Colacurcio said.
While climbing aboard a fire truck and exploring the gear is always a highlight, the company’s demonstrations are also a hit, such as a live fire demonstration using a mock room to show how quickly a fire can spread.
“It happens pretty quickly, but the kids love that too. There’s a lot of oohs and aahs,” he said.
The demonstration can also be a useful starting point for conversations between parents and kids about what to do if there’s a fire at home.
“I do think that the scenario of the mock fire room is important, though. Our hope is probably too that maybe some parents go home and talk to their kids and say like, ‘Hey, look, if something like this happens, just get out of the house. Don’t mess with it, don’t try and fix it. Don’t feel bad about it. Just get out and then figure it out from there. As long as you’re okay, that’s what matters,’” Colacurcio said.
Visitors will also have the chance to watch a Jaws of Life demonstration, which showcases how firefighters use the rescue tool to free people trapped in vehicles.
“I think it’s important for them to understand all of the things that we respond to,” Colacurcio said, noting that beyond fires, they could be called out to accidents, some hazmat incidents or even a child stuck in playground equipment, among other situations.
“Rescue can fall into so many categories,” he said. “Hopefully they’re never in a situation where they need us, but we want them to feel confident that we can do what we need to do to help them if they’re ever in an unfortunate situation.”
Founded in 1932, the fire company is operated entirely by local volunteers who juggle full-time jobs with answering the call to help others.
“We’re 100% volunteer, so we rely on a lot of donations,” Colacurcio said. “We just like to get out there and make sure people understand that there is a lot of training and things that go into this, and anything that someone may donate is going to a good use.”
Residents can support the fire company through volunteering or contributing financially. And when it comes to donations, “nothing is too small,” he said.
“Anybody who wants to get into something like this, we would love to have new members,” Colacurcio said. “We get a lot of support from our community — I can’t thank our community enough.”
Ultimately, Colacurcio said he hopes families leave the event having enjoyed the experience.
“Honestly, I think we just hope that they have a really good time, they have a lot of fun [and] they get to experience some things that they couldn’t experience otherwise,” he said. “I hope they just have an appreciation for how much we care about them, and I hope that they can appreciate us and what we’re doing down there.”
Participants can purchase tickets for the YETI cooler raffle at the open house or in advance. Tickets are $10 each or $40 for five and can be purchased through Venmo at @BargaintownFireDep. Purchasers should include their name, a phone number or email, and the phrase “YETI Raffle” in the note. Attendance is not required to win.
The open house will be held at the company’s station located at 6550 Mill Road, Egg Harbor Township. For more information, visit Bargaintown Volunteer Fire Company on Facebook or at bargaintownfire.org.
Madison Russ is an award-winning journalist, copy editor and adjunct professor of communication based in Atlantic County. An Ocean City native, Madison is passionate about telling stories that matter to locals, often spotlighting nonprofits and exploring the area’s vibrant arts scene.
