KITTANNING - For the past 100 years, residents in the Wick section of Kittanning have been able to count on the security of having two volunteer fire departments nearby. Kittanning Hose Cos. 4 and 6 will be celebrating 100 years of service to the community this weekend, with a weekend full of festivities. Among the planned events are firemen's competitions, a parade, an antique fire equipment showcase and a huge fireworks display. 'This show may be reminiscent of those in the 30s and 40s,' Steim said. At that point in time, there was a fireman's carnival at the site of the current Kittanning Senior High School. Many of the planned events for this weekend will be in that section of town. The festivities begin on Friday with a dinner for past and present members of Kittanning Hose Cos. 4 and 6, then an open house at Kittanning Hose Co. 6 for both fire departments. On Saturday, the 'Fireman's Games' will be held in the early afternoon near the school. Featured in the competition will be an auto rescue competition, a hose laying competition and a 'battle of the barrel,' according to Rob Shick, a member of Hose Co. 6 who is organizing the event. In the evening on Saturday, residents of the Third and Fourth wards will be treated to a parade. 'This is a most unusual parade route for Kittanning,' Steim said. The parade will start at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Church of God on Woodward Avenue and continue north to Orr Avenue, following it to Lemon Way, Steim said. 'We wanted the parade to pass in review in front of Hose Co. 4 and Hose Co. 6,' he said. Steim added that the fire companies are asking residents along those streets to move their vehicles for the parade. 'We need their total cooperation,' he explained. The parade will be the first in decades to pass through Wick, Steim said, and will be feature 'a touch of nostalgia'. As a child, Steim said, he remembers Hose Co. 6's fairly new 1937 pumper in parades - now the truck will carry the companies two oldest surviving members, Harold Johnson and Bob Bauer, through the parade as the honorary parade marshals. The parade will also feature 13 different bands, including the oldest performing fife and drum group, the Berlin Fife & Drum Corps. The group will be performing at Hose Co. 6 at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Sunday morning will feature an antique fire muster, a showcase of oldest of fire equipment, hand-drawn pumps, to the state-of-the-art pumpers and ladder trucks, beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday, said Earl 'Buzz' Kline, Chief at Hose Co. 4. That show will require South Water Street to be closed between Walnut and Jacob streets, and will also close the boat launch, Kline said. The event will also feature games and competitions and should be fun for all, Kline said. 'It should be an enjoyable day for everybody, young and old alike,' he said. But perhaps the highlight of the weekend will come on Sunday evening with concerts by the group 'Free Peanuts' and the Kittanning Firemen's Band followed by a fireworks spectacular, Steim said. 'It promises to be a great (fireworks) show,' he said, adding that it will be one of the 'premier' fireworks displays in this area in recent years.

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