The Parade of Lights is returning to the Greenbrier Valley.
Sponsored by Greenbrier County Fire and Emergency Responder’s Association, the parade and candlelight vigil are an annual celebration of the emergency responders in the area and a tribute to the lives lost on September 11, 2001. This year, Parade of Lights organizer Jeff Doss hopes more detachments will be present than ever.
“I’m expecting a big turn out. Any first-responder is invited, as well as the public. Given the good weather, given the fact that it’s the 20th anniversary, given the fact that it’s a Saturday, and I hate to say this, but given the fact of the recent events in Afghanistan, I’m hoping that this will probably be [the largest turn out ever].”
2020’s candlelight vigil |
In addition to all of the units of local emergency responders, something bigger will also be there.
“We should have at least one, if not two, medical helicopters that land, [including the Healthnet Helicopter]. Last year, unfortunately, we had to utilize the helicopter there. We had a patient at the time. It was someone who was smoking [with oxygen]. It never fails, a couple of times a year someone on oxygen will decide they still want to smoke. What happens is that it back feeds and they get burnt pretty bad. That person was local, so we just said ‘hey, the helicopter is already on the ground. Let’s transport to the fairgrounds and we’ll fly them out from there.’”
Another feature of the event is the chance to meet several of the K9 units that work in the area. Last year, demonstrations were given, with the dogs taking down people coated in a thick padding.
“The Department of Corrections will have their dog team there and the Greenbrier County K-9 will be there. Those are going to be pretty cool demonstrations. A lot of people don’t realize that some dogs are bite dogs and some dogs are for tracking. Some dogs are not bite dogs – they might look vicise but they’re lap dogs really. They’re drug sensing dogs. It’s really cool, we’ll probably play some kind of game where we’ll hide some drugs somewhere and that dog will sniff it out.”
Doss hopes there will be a new addition as well.
“This year I’m adding a finger print [station] because human trafficking is very much a concern, so if it saves one child’s life, it will be worth it. So we will have a finger printing station there, as long as they get the materials on time.”
The meet, greet, and demonstrations will begin at 5:30 on the WV State Fairgrounds. The Parade of Lights will then begin at approximately 7:30 and will travel from the fairgrounds on Route 219 to Grand Avenue at Bob Evans and return to the fairgrounds. The event will then conclude with a candlelight vigil.
“Hopefully I think everything will go well, especially if the weather holds,” Doss said. “On Saturday, we’re going to assemble around 5 p.m. or 5:30. That gives the kids a chance to come out, look at the trucks, look at the ambulances, look at the police cars, talk to the first responders.”
Over 70 vehicles took part in last year’s Parade of Lights. |
Doss pointed to the lives lost as a reason for the ceremony.
“Imagine [if], just in Greenbrier County alone, we lost every single deputy, patrolman, trooper, EMT, medic, DNR officer, dispatcher, and firefighter – it would still be less than the number of first responders lost on September 11, 2001. In fact, that number continues to rise with some estimates at an additional 2,000 having died from toxic exposure from rescue attempts after the attacks. I’m also sure that the post traumatic stress disorder rate is incalculable. … This is going to be 20 years, in 2021. Some of the [younger emergency responders] were young or would not have even been born [on 9/11].”
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