102nd annual Sussex County Firemen’s Association Inspection Day and Parade to be held this Saturday
FRANKLIN BOROUGH, NJ (Sussex County) – The 102nd Annual Sussex County Firemen’s Association Inspection Day and Parade will be hosted by Franklin Fire Department on Saturday, October 1and will step-off promptly at 1:00 p.m.
The Franklin Fire Department was organized in the old store room of the New Jersey Zinc Company’s store on March 9, 1911 (in what at the time was called ‘Franklin Furnace’). The department was known as the New Jersey Zinc Company Fire Department of Franklin, NJ for a number of years.
During that time, they used the store room as a meeting place for the department meetings. The original equipment consisted of three hand-drawn hose carts and one hand-drawn ladder cart. This equipment was furnished by the New Jersey Zinc Company as was the hose up to the time Franklin was incorporated as a Borough. After the formation of the Borough, the Fire Department was then under the control of the Mayor and Council in 1913.
The equipment was turned over to the Borough, and the Fire Department came under Municipal control. The organization became a member of the New Jersey Firemen’s Association in 1915.
Due to the growth of the town, in 1916 it became necessary to have more efficient apparatus and an American LaFrance pumper was purchased. The first chauffers were: Frank Straulina, Andrew Salvas, Daniel Van Auken, and Francis X. Hyde.
Franklin Fire Department has hosted the annual Firemen’s Parade a total of seventeen times in the years 1922, 1929, 1938, 1950, 1958, 1963, 1969, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1994, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2019 and 2022. This is more than any other department in Sussex County.
Franklin Fire Department enjoys hosting the parade and takes pride in the fact that they don’t impact traffic on any major roads. They have a great parade route and it’s always nice to end at their Firemen’s Park and Pavilion where the Hose Laying is also held.
Trophies will be awarded afterwards for marching, apparatus and hose laying competitions. Both in-county and out-of-county guest departments and EMS squads are eligible for trophies.
The parade will also include invited dignitaries and guests. Hose laying competition will be held immediately after completion of the parade.
2022 Parade Line-up is as follows:
- Franklin
- Hardyston
- Stillwater
- Ogdensburg
- Hampton
- Andover Borough
- Branchville
- Green
- Stanhope
- Andover Township
- Newton
- Pochuck Valley
- Lafayette
- Byram
- Sparta
- Vernon
- McAfee
- Sandyston
- Montague
- Wantage
- Hopatcong
- Fredon
- Hamburg
- Sussex
- Frankford
- Highland Lakes
Guest Companies include:
New Jersey
- Rockaway Co. 4
- Birchwood Roxbury Co. 2
- Netcong
- Boundbrook
- New Jersey Forest Fire Service
- Sussex County Public Safety Training Academy
New York
- New Windsor
- Sparrowbush
Pennsylvania
- Delaware Township
- Greeley
The Parade Route is: Buckwheat Road, Evans Street, Main Street, Rutherford Avenue, High Street, Buckwheat Road, Parker Street and ending at the Franklin Firemen’s Memorial Park. The Reviewing will be on Buckwheat Road in front of Franklin Firehouse.