First responders spread birthday joy with drive-bys

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This article was published 14/04/2020 (2384 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon’s emergency services have rolled out a plan to make sure kids’ birthdays still get a special celebration during the pandemic.

The Brandon Police Service and Brandon Fire & Emergency Services are teaming up to put on parades for children aged 4 to 13 who are stuck at home and unable to celebrate their big days with friends.

By calling ahead a few days in advance, parents can arrange for a lineup of first responder vehicles to drive by with lights on as a birthday salute.

Staff Sgt. Bill Brown told the Sun on Monday that the number and variety of vehicles participating in the parade will depend on how busy emergency services are during each of the parades.

He added that the police and fire services will co-ordinate as best they can, but sometimes the parades might feature vehicles from one service but not the other.

On Saturday, the City of Brandon posted a video on social media of one lucky child getting a drive-by from police, fire and ambulance vehicles, including an appearance from the police’s armoured vehicle.

One of the first people to receive a birthday visit from emergency service was Liam Wagner, who turned eight years old on April 6. Wagner got a visit from an ambulance and a fire truck to help celebrate his special day.

Mom Brigitte Van De Kerckhove told the Sun that she reached out to Brandon Fire & Emergency Services after seeing a social media posts from Red Deer, Alta., and Alma, Ont., showing first responders making a birthday visit to children there.

She spoke to a firefighter with a child who goes to the same school as her son, who put her in touch with Brandon Fire & Emergency Services administration.

“I like how they came and I didn’t even know they were gonna come,” Wagner said. “I walked out and I saw them and I didn’t know what was going on and I asked mom if she phoned them.”

Van De Kerckhove said that she thought that the visit made up for the loss of a regular birthday party. Her son agreed.

“Mom made my day,” Wagner said.

It was a busy week for birthdays in the family, with the day after Wagner’s birthday being his mom’s birthday. The day after that was his grandfather’s birthday. However, neither of them got visits from emergency vehicles on their birthdays.

Wagner said that he normally doesn’t get to play video games, but his stepdad made him an exception and got him Minecraft as a birthday treat to play while he’s stuck at home.

He added that he’s finished all the homework he has been assigned to do at home by his teacher.

To book a birthday visit for a child, parents are invited to make arrangements by contacting the Brandon Police Service by calling 204-729-2305 or emailing policechief@brandon.ca, or to contact Brandon Fire & Emergency Services by calling 204-729-2410 or emailing fire@brandon.ca.

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