MARION COUNTY FAIR

Children fight fire in fair exhibit

Spenser Hickey
Reporter

MARION – Fire safety became fun Tuesday at the Marion County Fair as children played the role of two groups of firefighters racing to put out a fire.

At noon, the participants were divided into two teams, boys versus girls. For 5-year-old Lillian Huffman, it wasn't just a chance to act as a firefighter; she was following in her stepfather's footsteps.

Huffman's stepfather, Jonathan Bish, works for New Vision Fire and Rescue in Big Island Township.

"This really let her get into what she was doing. I think she learned a lot," said Bish, who has taken Lillian to the New Vision fire station.

The participants began by unrolling a hose and connecting it to the miniature truck, then using a fire extinguisher to put out the "fire" by spraying the board it was painted on.

Lillian Huffman, 5, and Eliza Briggs, 6, use a fire extinguisher on a faux fire Tuesday at the Marion County Fair.

The competition then involved a race to roll up the hose and return everything to the truck before running to a ladder. At each step, the crowd, composed mainly of family members, cheered for the teams.

The girls won, but everyone got lessons on what to do in case of a real fire — including children from the audience, who got to practice crawling under smoke as well.

Lillian didn't have much to say afterward, but she enjoyed winning and may become a firefighter as well; she was quick to get on the fire truck again afterward.

"She knew more than what I thought she did, so I guess that comes in handy," said Jessica Bish, Lillian's mother.

The show was put together by Neal Snyder, a traveling entertainer from Florida.

"I used to do an alligator show and I just wanted to come up with something else for kids to do that would teach them safety," Snyder said.

He developed the routine with his brother, Brian Snyder, a firefighter in Michigan, and works fairs around the East Coast and Midwest from summer to October.

shickey@marionstar.com

740-244-9940

Twitter: @SpenserHickey

Wednesday at the fair

•Rides open noon.

•Ronald McDonald magic show, 11 a.m.

•Buckeye State Pedal Pull, noon.

•Skillet throwing conest, 2 p.m.

•Firefighter training show, 2, 5 and 7 p.m.

•Gas and 4-wheel-drive truck pulls, 7:30 p.m., grandstand.