FDMT Hosts Ninth-Annual 'Drill In The Hood'

hosted its 9th-annual "Drill in the 'Hood" event on  Monday night at , welcoming the large crowd of township parents and children to see all that goes into emergency services.

"Any time that we can get out and show the community what we do is awesome," said Bill Wiegman, battalion chief with Station 18.  "This is a good event for us, and we're happy to do it."

Wiegman wasn't the only one that was happy, as a huge turnout of eager children were treated to tours of different fire department vehicles, a live vehicle rescue, a "home escape" simulator, and other games and activities.

"We come every year," said Rebecca Tweed, who brought her son Jeremiah out for the event.  "He wants to be a fireman, so every time we have a chance to see the fire engines we're very excited."

In addition to the , members of the Lansdale , the , the North Penn Fire Company, and the Pennstar MedEvac crew participated in the event.

"I think the Montgomery Township fire department is really great with the township and community outreach," said Tweed.  "We've lived in the township for five years, and we've always felt safe.  They've come to calls in our neighborhood, and they've always been professional and friendly."

That relationship is crucial to the fire department, as it looks for the next generation of volunteers.

"We need to build that relationship with our community, and it's extremely important to us for recruitment and overall satisfaction with our jobs," said Wiegman.

That sentiment was echoed by State Representative Todd Stephens, who came out after a friend in the fire department informed him of the event.

"What a great idea and a great turnout," said Stephens. "To have all these kids and potential volunteers for the fire department out here watching the fireman, along with everything that goes into emergency services – it's phenomenal."

The fire department will continue to host the annual event for the foreseeable future, with the hope that they can continue to strengthen their relationship with the township, as well as motivate the next generation of aspiring fire fighters to volunteer and serve.

For more information on the Fire Department of Montgomery Township, click here.

If you are interested in being a volunteer firefighter with FDMT, who the department is proudly accepting, click here.  You can also download an application form here.

The Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch was on the scene, snapping picture after picture of all the fun and excitement.  Did we catch you in our lens?  Check out the photo gallery to find out!