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<p>HANOVER TWP. &#8212; Mother Nature cooperated with the firemen participating in the 115th annual Six County Firemen&#8217;s Convention in Hanover Township on Saturday afternoon.</p><p>&#8220;Early on, we didn&#8217;t think it was going to be a good day with thunderstorms threatening,&#8221; Hanover Township Fire Lt. Chris Halecki said. &#8220;It didn&#8217;t matter once we saw the people lining up on the street and sitting on their porches, it turned out to be great.&#8221;</p><p>To conclude the three-day Six County Firemen&#8217;s Convention, over 130 fire departments from Luzerne, Lackawanna, Columbia, Montour, Schuylkill and Northumberland counties participated in the parade as well as a fire department from New Jersey.</p><p>The two-and-a-half-hour ride did not faze officers attending the parade from Wallington, New Jersey.</p><p>&#8220;You make friends in different places,&#8221; Wallington Fire Captain William Kulaf said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve actually been going to events in Hanover Township for about 40 years. We go to their events and they come to ours.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s very nice to see the different communities come together and interact with their fire departments,&#8221; he added. &#8220;At the end of the day, we are all family.&#8221;</p><p>Privately owned antique fire apparatus, pipe and drum bands, marching bands and local groups that specialize in public safety and community service also participated in the parade.</p><p>Afterward, members of the Hanover Area Quarterbacks Club and local Boy Scout troop held a barbecue on the grounds of the Hanover Area Fire District Social Hall to raise money for their respective groups.</p><p>&#8220;It gives our guys kind of a break so they can enjoy themselves and mingle with everyone here,&#8221; Lt. Halecki said. &#8220;The guys can then concentrate on gathering and handing out (parade) awards later on.&#8221;</p><p>Halecki said firefighters were overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support.</p><p>&#8220;It was great to see the people of Hanover Township line the streets and support their fire department and the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Association,&#8221; Halecki said.</p><p>&#8220;To see the look and pride on everyone&#8217;s faces when we were marching down with the honor guard was special,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The hand salutes from military personnel and other firefighters was nice to see and it&#8217;s the reason and tradition why we do it to honor those who have gone before us.&#8221;</p><p>Fourteen members of the Scranton Black Diamonds Pipe Band helped honor the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.</p><p>&#8220;Amazing Grace is synonymous with the bag pipes,&#8221; band drum major Richard Bowen said. &#8220;Whatever parade we attend, it&#8217;s one of the first requests we always get.&#8221;</p><p>Bowen spoke highly of Saturday&#8217;s experience.</p><p>&#8220;It was fantastic marching along the parade route,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think the people who came out really enjoyed our music and watching all the fire departments go by.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Members of Boy Scout Troop 166, Hanover Township, lead the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Parade along Fellows Avenue in Hanover Township on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_1-1-.jpg</photo0><caption0>Members of Boy Scout Troop 166, Hanover Township, lead the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Parade along Fellows Avenue in Hanover Township on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_2-1-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Ashland Fire Chief Philip Groody announces entries in the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Parade as it moves along Fellows Avenue in Hanover Township on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_2-1-.jpg</photo1><caption1>Ashland Fire Chief Philip Groody announces entries in the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Parade as it moves along Fellows Avenue in Hanover Township on Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_3-1-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Hanover Township engines lead the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Parade along Fellows Avenue. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_3-1-.jpg</photo2><caption2>Hanover Township engines lead the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Parade along Fellows Avenue. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_4-1-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A turn-of-the-century tanker truck from the Ashley Fire Department moves along First Street in Hanover Township during the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Parade on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_4-1-.jpg</photo3><caption3>A turn-of-the-century tanker truck from the Ashley Fire Department moves along First Street in Hanover Township during the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Parade on Saturday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_5-1-.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Bob Williams marches with fellow firefighters from Hanover Township during Saturday&#8217;s parade for the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Convention. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/web1_TTL062418FiremensParade_5-1-.jpg</photo4><caption4>Bob Williams marches with fellow firefighters from Hanover Township during Saturday&#8217;s parade for the Six County Firemen&#8217;s Convention. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>ttlnews@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Firefighters on parade: Hanover Twp. hosts last day of Six County convention