Fans of fire trucks and firefighters, mark your calendars for the 38th Annual Fire Truck Parade & Muster, Saturday, June 15, in Historic Downtown Littleton! Traditionally held on Father’s Day weekend, this free, family-friendly event is presented by Mile High Hook & Ladder (MHHL) in partnership with South Metro Fire Rescue. MHHL is an all-volunteer antique fire truck club “dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and operation of fire apparatus in America”.

This year’s Muster features a celebration of Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday. Riding on a U.S. Forest Service wildland fire truck, the iconic “spokesbear” for the U.S. Forest Service will lead the parade which departs at 9 a.m. from Bannock St. and Littleton Blvd. With bells clanging and sirens roaring, the noisy procession of antique rigs and massive, modern in-service fire/rescue apparatus heads west on Main Street, turns south on South Curtice St., then “musters” (gathers) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Arapahoe Community College (ACC), 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive.

The National Fire Sprinkler Association (NSFA)–the first of three major attractions–kicks off the Muster with its side-by-side burn trailer, bringing live burns to the public. Spectators can feel the heat, see the fury of fire, witness a fire sprinkler activation and realize how quickly that same fire can be extinguished when sprinklers are present.

Next, during SMFR’s realistic–and perennially popular–auto extrication demonstration, firefighters will pry apart a crashed car with a “Jaws of Life” to remove an accident “victim” and transport him (or her) to a waiting ambulance. Spectators are then advised to hang onto their hats when the Children’s Hospital Colorado “Children’s One” Flight Team lands its neonatal/pediatric emergency helicopter nearby.

South Metro Fire Rescue is providing several in-service fire/rescue vehicles for the parade and muster, including its magnificent “Black Pearl” ladder truck; a Technical Rescue rig and a new Hazmat vehicle (manufactured by SVI Trucks of Fort Colllins); and, for the first time at the Muster, a 60-foot long Tiller ladder truck requiring two drivers at once. One driver controls the rear and front wheels of the tiller while the second (front) driver handles steering.

At ACC, participants can take selfies with Smokey and area firefighters; climb in and on first responder apparatus and the Children’s Hospital Colorado Children’s One helicopter; and explore the vendor marketplace where they can pick up health and wellness, safety and emergency preparedness tips from area hospitals, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and South Metro Safety Foundation.

Members of the Arapahoe Rescue Patrol (ARP), a search and rescue team comprised entirely of high school students, will be on hand to help junior firefighters join in the bucket brigade, and aim high-pressure hoses at the “House-a-Fire”. The South Metro Safety Foundation (SMSF) is bringing Engine 1/2, a scaled-down fire truck with kid-sized bunker gear. SMSF techs will give youngsters tips on how, when, and why to call 9-1-1 and perform hands-only CPR.

Staff from the Children’s Hospital Colorado Burn Camps Program will educate the community about its one-week camps in the Rocky Mountains where burn survivors share their stories and work on healing their physical and emotional scars. The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office maggot art is expected to be a big draw for those fascinated by the insects’ integral role in forensic investigations. Kids get to dip live maggots in non-toxic, water-based paint and let them crawl across paper, creating uniquely abstract paintings.