With the summer heating up the Rockford Fire and Water Departments are cooling things down.
You may spot them traveling around the community hosting hydrant parties.
“[The parties] give kids an opportunity to come out here and get in the sprinkler and cool off,” Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten.
Not just about cooling off, these parties are also about having fun.
“The fire trucks were here and the water was spraying,” says Boys and Girls Club Director Gayle Dixon. “Now the kids are enjoying getting wet and beating the heat today.”
Dixon says this is brand new experience for many of the children from the Jefferson Street neighborhood.
“They’ve never been running through sprinklers like this before, you can see the excitement,” says Gayle.
Staying cool is not the only goal the fire department has for these parties.
“We picked this career to serve the community. To actually meet and talk to them in a non-emergency setting and get know them, that is what we strive for each and every day,” says Bergsten.