Antique fire vehicles to be displayed during weekend show

By PETE FONTAINE
Posted 9/18/19

By PETE FONTAINE For many children, fire trucks are an ageless attraction. On Sunday, Sept. 22, fire vehicles of all sizes and shapes will be on display at New England Tech's East Greenwich campus as part of the Rhode Island Antique Fire Apparatus

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Antique fire vehicles to be displayed during weekend show

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For many children, fire trucks are an ageless attraction.

On Sunday, Sept. 22, fire vehicles of all sizes and shapes will be on display at New England Tech’s East Greenwich campus as part of the Rhode Island Antique Fire Apparatus Society’s 15th annual show.

“Our event is geared towards family fun and history,” said Richard Quetta, a North Providence resident and member of the society. “This is our 15th annual show, and if the weather holds up we could have a record crowd.”

A record crowd would be special for a number of reasons, most notably because the unique nonprofit is hoping to get a head start on its Christmas shopping.

“While admission is always free to our show, we’re hoping that people bring a new, unwrapped toy, which our organization is collecting and will be distributed to needy children during the holidays,” Quetta said.

The show will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and visitors will have the chance to see and take pictures with a range of colorful vintage vehicles.

Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog will make appearances, while Mike Higgins, an accomplished wood carver, will create a pair of sculptures to be raffled during the show.

Visitors will also enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs and other refreshments from Providence Canteen, as well as music from a DJ. Souvenir shirts and hats will be available for purchase to support the society.

The Society was founded in 2004 by 10 people who owned a total of nine fire trucks that were once used for public duty in various fire departments throughout the state. Since then, the nonprofit has grown to record numbers.

“We are maintaining a chapter of Rhode Island’s treasured history of firefighting,” said Bill Willett, the society’s secretary. 

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  • Justanidiot

    warwicks will be looking to add to der fleet here. dey did such a good job getting da one from westerly, they should do ok here

    Thursday, September 19, 2019 Report this