by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Parents and children – especially children – had a ball at the Rice Fire Department’s Open House event from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 9.
Eager children wearing plastic firefighter hats scrambled into the shiny-red fire trucks parked inside the station. Some tooted the loud horns; others pretended to be driving to a fire; still others clambered over the seats and touched all the neat stuff on the dashboards.
The Rice firefighters welcomed the adults and children, answered questions, and offered beverages and delicious homemade cupcakes.
Across the street, children expressed wide-eyed awe when they were allowed to go inside the North Memorial Hospital helicopter that had landed there in Rice Memorial Park.
“It’s been a good day,” said Joe Janski, a 30-year member of the Rice Fire Department. “It was a good time for people to meet the firefighters and to see all the equipment and the helicopter. Everybody seemed to have a real(ly) good time.”
Led by Fire Chief Scott Janski (Joe Janski’s nephew), the Rice Fire Department now has about two dozen volunteer members. Its fire station is located right in the heart of downtown Rice.
Gavin Arickx of Rice gets to play firefighter Oct. 9 at the Rice Fire Department Open House. Arickx is the son of Josh and Sara Arickx. His brothers Nolan and Darby and cousin Peter Kraft of St. Cloud also enjoyed scrambling into and out of the big red fire trucks.
A family enjoys visiting the North Memorial Hospital medical helicopter and its crew during the Rice Fire Department Open House Oct. 9.
The Larson sisters of Rice, Autumn (left) and Noelle (right) and their little cousin Scarlett Cossnan, also of Rice, sit inside the North Memorial Hospital helicopter during the Oct. 9 Rice Fire Department Open House.
Rice firefighters shoot the breeze Oct. 9 while waiting to greet visitors to the Rice Fire Department Open House. From left to right are Dale Hiscock, John Aschenbrenner, Assistant Fire Chief Brad Vaillancourt and Keith Craft.
The Rice Fire Department Open House Oct. 9 was a good chance for residents to meet their local, friendly firefighters.
This cake was specially made using a frosting photo reproduction of the Rice Fire Department firefighters. It was the centerpiece of the refreshments table during the department’s Open House Oct. 9.
Joe Janski, a 30-year member of the Rice Fire Department and one of its captains, holds a specially made cake to help celebrate the department’s Open House event Oct. 9.
