ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO Belvidere Republican
A “Happy Birthday from the BFD” sign held out the window of the fire engine sends best wishes from the whole department during the drive-by party.

By Anne Eickstadt

Editor

The Belvidere Fire Dept. and Belvidere Police Dept. are normally working, training, and doing their jobs each and every day. Whenever they can, they do something special to encourage the community and make people smile.

So far this year, things are a little different with social distancing restrictions and the BFD and BPD are rising to the occasion. For example, kids have visited the fire and police departments for field trips and police officers, including Chief Woody, have visited schools to read with the kids. Since the schools are now closed due to the pandemic, that is no longer possible and Officer Tim Blankenship has taken to reading books out loud on Facebook to continue the practice as best as possible.

During the summer, firefighters and police officers frequently spend time on Fridays to play kickball with the kids at General Mills Park and the fire department sprays water for the kids to run through and cool down. We can all hope and pray that restrictions will be lifted in time for the summer activities to be enjoyed again this year.

Until then, the two departments are stepping up their efforts to make people smile. While they would generally take requests for visits or drive-bys for birthday parties, in this time when parties are forbidden, mini-parades are still putting smiles on faces.

“We do these parades to do what we can do to bring joy to a birthday or special occasion while we are under Stay at Home orders, and also because people ask us to.” said Captain Shawn Shadle of the Belvidere Fire Dept. “People usually call the station or ask us in person to set them up.”

“We have been doing drive-bys for birthdays,” BFD’s Lt. Chad Cunningham said. “We have been having a couple a day.”

Chief Hyser said, “It gives our newer guys driving experience on the big vehicles and street familiarization in areas they may not know well.”

On one day, they may lead an impressively long parade past the home of a 90-year-old woman, and the next for a 3-year-old-boy.

Kim Richardson said, “My sister organized the parade for our mother’s birthday. She just turned 90. We called the fire department and the police department. There were about 18 to 20 cars with family, friends, and relations who drove by. My mother, Darlene Richardson, was so surprised. My father, Jack Richardson, (age 93) was out there waving and it turned out really good.” (The BFD had nine requests for a birthday drive-by that day.)

The following day, the Belvidere Fire Dept. did back-to-back birthday parades. The first one was a double-header for Rhys and Hayleigh Peters. Rhys’s birthday was actually on Saturday, with Hayleigh’s birthday five days later. “The kids loved it,” said dad Ryan. “We appreciate that they took the time to do it. It really made my son’s day. He turned three years old and he says he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. He has fire truck PJs and he always wears them.”

As soon as the firefighters left that subdivision they turned into another one where they nipped to the head of the line of vehicles already waiting. The guests for the drive-by party were still decorating their vehicles with balloons and banners. The police cars took their positions in the parade, sirens blared, and lights flashed. The birthday boy (age 50) waved from under a canopy with his family and everyone waved, honked, and shouted birthday wishes as they drove by.

It is a wonderful way to keep in touch with the community even when the six-foot-rule keeps everyone apart.

Now I’m wondering, anyone have any ideas for serving cake at a drive-by party?

 

 

 
 
 
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