By Kurtis Elsner

The Town of New Tecumseth will be rolling out the fire engine red carpets as thousands of firefighters will soon hit town for a provincial convention.

The New Tecumseth Fire Department is hosting this year’s Firefighters Association of Ontario convention Aug. 1 to 4 behind the New Tecumseth Joint Operations Centre. The event  attracts volunteer firefighters from across the province. The annual event is when the association holds its general meeting, but it is also a celebration with games, competitions, music and parades, and the public is invited.

The convention is not only bringing together firefighters from across the province, it is also helping to instill some unity in New Tecumseth, said convention planning committee member J.R. Gregg.

“It’s the first time all three stations have done something together. We’re bringing more unity to the three fire halls, and at the same time, we are bringing the convention more north than south.”

The firefighters convention is normally held in the southwestern part of the province. This year the New Tecumseth organizers hope to attract more departments from northern and central Ontario. The firefighters have already rented out over 300 campsites, which will be on the land behind the Joint Operations Centre.

Many of the firefighters will be arriving July 25 or 26, and taking part in training exercises put on by the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office and the firefighters’ association during the week leading up to the convention.

The public is invited to come out and watch the games and parades scheduled for the weekend, or take part in a dance and concert Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

The music is at the campground behind the Joint Operations Centre, and features live bands, and starts between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night. Admission for the weekend is $10.

The public can also watch the firefighter games Saturday and Sunday, which include ladder races, hose relays and more. The games start in the parking lot of the Joint Operations Centre at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

On Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. there will be a marching parade in Beeton. The firefighters will march from the Foodland parking lot, past the post office, and to the cenotaph near the Beeton Legion on Prospect Street.

There will also be an antique apparatus and vehicle parade in Alliston Monday. The parade will start at Banting Memorial High School, and follows the route of the Santa Claus Parade. It starts at 10 a.m.