The Welling Community Day parade is one of our favorite days of the year. We were proud to roll the engine through town and visit with the families we serve across Welling, Tailholt, and Briggs. Thank you to everyone who came out.
Why we bring the engine to the Welling Community Day parade
An engine in a parade is not just for show. For a lot of kids, it is the first time a fire truck is something friendly rather than something loud arriving on a bad day. That matters, because a child who is not afraid of us is a child who will come out from hiding during a real emergency.
These days are also how a volunteer department stays connected to the people it serves. We are your neighbors first. Standing on the street talking with families is a reminder of exactly who is on the other end of every call.
What your support actually pays for
Community support is not abstract for a department like ours. It buys wildland gear, thermal imaging cameras, extrication equipment, and eventually apparatus. In 2025 that support helped us add new wildland gear and thermal imaging cameras to the department.
Roughly two-thirds of firefighters in the United States are volunteers, and most serve small, rural communities like ours, according to the NFPA’s U.S. fire department profile. In other words, departments like this one exist because neighbors decide they should. Every dollar raised locally stays local, and it goes straight into gear, training, and the trucks that answer your call.
How to stay involved
If the Welling Community Day parade was your first time meeting the crew, there are a few ways to keep it going. You can join the department, and no experience is required, since we train you. You can also support us financially or pay your annual dues.
Either way, thank you, Welling. We will see you at the next one.
