The noisy, festive event kicked off a busy dedication ceremony for the nearly 9-month-old building on Sherman Avenue that houses Fire Company 2 and for the arrival of three new trucks to help volunteers battle blazes.
"It's about time," said Joseph Letizia, 77, a volunteer and former longtime chief for the South Vineland company.
The company had been unable to obtain any new apparatus for the past 11 years because its previous building on nearby Main Road was outdated.
"With the new upgraded equipment and with all this new housing going up around this area, we will be better prepared to save lives and properties," said Letizia, a Company 2 member for the past 41 years.
Despite rainy weather, hundreds of people showed up to demonstrate their support. That included several neighboring fire companies. Dedication ceremonies at the firehouse were followed by building tours and a buffet lunch for the guests.
"It's our biggest day. I'm lost for words," said Chief Daniel Weir. "I'm representing 30 of the finest guys and girls that this community has produced to carry on the tradition. This station reflects the great community that we live in."
Although the community is growing in size, the chief noted, volunteerism is not.
"Volunteers are something that we need to recruit more of," Weir said. "We've got the new equipment, but it doesn't do us any good without the volunteers."
