Volunteer firefighters put on parade in Edgemere

First published July 31, 2024 in the Dundalk Eagle.

Fire trucks with flashing lights, water cannons and fire cannons paraded down North Point Road in Edgemere Friday as the North Point-Edgemere Volunteer Fire Department put on its annual parade and carnival for Edgemere residents.

Tim Pace, a volunteer firefighter at the Edgemere station, organized the event for the 10th year in a row and said far more people and organizations registered to take part in the parade this year.

Robby Hammer watched the parade with his soon-to-be sister-in-law Alexis Truszkowski. Both have been watching the parade for over 15 years. A police riot truck that police paraded down the street was their favorite part.

“It’s normal, but it felt a little shorter,” Hammer said. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m trying to take care of kids while watching it, and you’re not really sitting out here and watching all the time, but it felt a little shorter.”

“I feel like there’s a lot more engines and cops normally,” Truszkowski added.

The volunteers hosted a carnival with games ranging from ring tossing to raising money to replace old gear and a buy a bigger rescue boat. The Key Bridge’s collapse made clear how under-resourced the station is, Pace said.

“It was an eye-opener,” he said.

Equipment isn’t the only thing missing. People are, too. Like other volunteer firefighter stations, his doesn’t have enough people willing to volunteer their time.

“Our application numbers are very low. So we are really looking for new members,” he said.

Training is free.

Pace comes from a firefighting family and has been a volunteer firefighter for 20 years, he said. He works with the Baltimore County Fire Department as a paid firefighter as well.

“I’ve been around it all my life, so I enjoy doing it,” he said. “It’s very fulfilling.”

But carnivals like Edgemere’s are a dying breed, Pace said. There’s only one other volunteer fire station that puts on a carnival like Edgemere’s in Baltimore County, he said, because prices for everything are increasing and the carnivals aren’t as well attended. Finding enough people to staff the volunteer stations is another problem.

Pace, however, loves the time he spends volunteering.

“Being a volunteer is very fulfilling,” he said. “I wouldn’t imagine doing anything else.”