As he twirled his tiny fingers around a long
chain displaying the authentic-looking U.S. Army dog tag necklace he received
from real Army Reserve soldiers at the annual La Grange Fire Department Open
House last Saturday afternoon, Jamie Kelpsas excitedly ticked off all the fun
things he did that day to the only member of the news media he knew.
Jamie, who met this reporter when he and his sister and Dad,
Park Board Commissioner Tim Kelpsas, attended the Race Unity Rally inside
Village Hall last month, broke from his father's grip and walked briskly across
the grey firehouse floor to say hello.
Judging by the dog-eared stickers on his t-shirt, Jamie had
already met Dak the police dog and been designated a Junior Police Officer. He
also got to shoot water out of the big orange fire hose that snaked its way
across Burlington Avenue and see all kinds of fire vehicles, equipment and
uniformed personnel. But he apparently still did not enjoy his 15 seconds of
fame.
If, in fact, telling your story here makes you famous among
your kindergartner classmates neighborhood buddies and Mom or Grandma.
Jamie, who still insists he is "five years and four
months" old, certainly had a good delivery and seemed prepared for the
impromptu interview.
"I've learned fire people are important ... so nobody
dies," he said, very matter-of-factly. "I got to shoot the hose to
try and get the (faux) windows open and it felt good."
With a little encouragement from his father, who was now
standing nearby, Jamie said he would call 911 in an emergency: so the police
and firefighters can "put their clothes on" and respond, drive their
fire engines and squad cars to the scene and "go in" to look for the
fire, people and their pets "to try and save them." On their way to
the call, he said everyone else must be aware and "move to the side."
If he had a fire at his house, Jamie said he would hope
they'd rescue his family and pet fish nicknamed "Uncle Tom."
Jamie was just one of a few hundred kids who spent the
morning and early afternoon with the firefighters, taking tours and climbing
aboard firetrucks, as well as learning how to extinguish fires, contain a
chemical leak, rescue someone pinned inside a car, rappel off a building, use a
fire extinguisher, install a smoke detector and take care of their equipment.
Seven-year La Grange residents Sean and Anne Cahill were
there for a second consecutive year, this time with their boys, 3-year-old
Patrick and 1-year-old Liam. Dressed for the weather in matching wool jackets,
their parents called them "fire station groupies" who really had fun
spraying the hose to simulate breaking through windows to air out a room and
provide access to and for fire victims.
So, too, was John Wagner, a 5-year La Grange resident, with
his little ones, 2-1/2-year-old Henry -- who came ready for action in his
complete firefighter gear his Dad said his son has been wearing since July --
and 7-year-old Jane, who seemed more enthusiastic the Open House gave her a
chance to hang out with her girlfriends on a weekend.
"I have a birthday party today but we came here
first," she said, referring to a friend's invite. Still, she added,
"I went inside a couple of the vehicles. It was cool."
As for Henry, smiling widely in his black vinyl coat, hat
and boots with bright yellow reflective detail, his father looked down and
said, "He's the last thing we got; he's our future hope."
Practice burns were restricted on the street in front of the
fire station this year, said Captain Dave Rapp, because the street was just
recently blacktopped.
Informational literature and free samples were provided by
the village's Fire and Police departments, the Park District and La Grange
Adventist Hospital. Kids got free red plastic Fire Chief helmets just like the
white one worn by the real chief, David Fleege and enjoyed free hot dogs, pop
and popcorn served up by his administrative assistant, firefighters and their
spouses.
Passing out pamphlets, pencils and helmets was 41-year
veteran firefighter Captain Rick Griffin's wife of 35 years, Roberta, his best
friend since their years at Hinsdale South High School and a regular volunteer
at the event, with department administrative assistant Joan Sietz at her side.
"She's doing the fun stuff," said Roberta of Joan,
who spent a good part of the day filling bags with popcorn.
Sietz, whose been with the department about 30 years, said
she remembers when Open Houses to this magnitude first began some 25 years ago
under then-chief Gerald Granat.
Asked what she liked about the Open House, she said
definitely the youth.
"The kids and their enthusiasm," said Roberta,
mother of three and grandmother to six. "I like the wide-eyed innocence
about them."
Her husband, the son of a chief of the now-defunct Clarendon
Heights (now part of Tri-state) Fire Protection District, started there as a
cadet at age 14and became a full-fledged firefighter there four years later.
He's been with La Grange for the past 27 years.
She described her husband's lifelong commitment to his
career as not unlike the brotherhood that makes so many firefighters a close
bunch and makes so many other folks like them so much.
"He has a lot of passion, a love for the job," she
said. "It's in his fiber."
Rapp said it was amazing to him the number of families --
especially with older, pre-teen and young teen children -- that have been
coming out. Those kids, he said, typically go but often begrudgingly and
"dragging their head" to feign disinterest, he said.
Still, while the oldest boy of Catrina Domaika said he was
having fun (her kids are 11, 10, 6 and 3), Mom thinks otherwise.
"They said they like it," she speculated,
"but they don't want anyone to know."
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