Fire Department to celebrate turning 125

On Aug. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be free kids’ activities, tours and giveaways at the station.

The Willoughby Fire Department will be hosting a community event at their headquarters to celebrate the department’s 125th anniversary this year.

On Aug. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be free kids’ activities, station tours and giveaways. The event will be at Station No. 1, 37000 Euclid Ave.

“For those three hours we have the place open, it’ll be to show the public what we have and show gratitude for their support,” said Chief Todd Ungar.

During the station’s open house, there will be interactive activities for kids, fire prevention materials giveaways, as well as commemorative t-shirts and pint glasses for sale.

The event will lead into the Last Stop Willoughby parade, which begins at South High School near Station #1 on Euclid Avenue.

Ungar said that the department has not held an open house for several years.

The Willoughby Fire Department was formally organized in 1894. According to a previous News-Herald article, the department’s current headquarters (Station #1), was built in the 1960s and underwent a major reconstruction in the early 2000s.

To celebrate the anniversary, Willoughby firefighters donned anniversary patches and placed logos on the department’s vehicles.

Earlier this year, Lt. Mark Leisure was leading a restoration project for the department’s first motorized engine, which had come into service in 1921. The restoration is currently unfinished.

“(But) we’ll probably have it on display,” the chief added. The department will be participating in the Last Stop Willoughby parade following their open house. The parade will go through downtown, where the festival will feature an outdoor market, trolley tours, kids’ activities, corn roast and more throughout the day.