By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Judging by the constant sirens, Railway Avenue must have sounded like a disaster area last Saturday afternoon, but it was all in good fun.

Dozens of kids took their turn at sitting in the fire truck, trying on a firefighter’s uniform or spraying the hose during an open house at the Davidson Fire Hall.

Most popular was the blaring siren, said deputy chief Don Willner, adding that the firefighters like it for the same reason.

“We like making noise and flashing the lights,” he said with a laugh.

The open house on April 22 drew a steady crowd with all ages represented. There were grey skies overhead but the rain and snow held off for the afternoon.

The fire department had all four vehicles on display, including the two fire trucks, a pumper and a rapid rescue unit.

The hose was set up on McGregor Street along with a prop house with wooden flames in the windows. Guests were invited to take a turn holding the hose, directing the spray to knock down the flames.

Hamburgers, hot dogs and pop were served free of charge, and a silver collection was taken to benefit the hose fund.

The event was an opportunity to the public to take a look behind the scenes at the fire hall, meeting the volunteers and seeing the tools they use.

Willner said the department is also continuing its appeal for new members.

Three people have joined in the last two months, taking the number of active members to 14.

“That’s pretty good, considering it’s a small department,” said Willner, adding that the target is set at 20 members. “Like any volunteer department, we’re constantly looking for new members.”

Anyone interested in joining or learning more can call fire chief Clayton Schilling at 561-7597 or Willner at 567-7390.