06/07/2026
What a day.
Columbia’s 300th Anniversary and the Lancaster County Firefighters Parade was a tremendous success. Seeing the amount of planning, coordination, and volunteer effort required to pull off an event of this size gave me an even greater appreciation for everyone who worked behind the scenes to make it happen.
The fire service showed up today. Departments from across Lancaster County came together to celebrate our traditions, our history, and the brotherhood that connects us all. It was great to see old friends, meet new ones, and watch the community come out in support of the fire service.
One of the highlights for me was seeing former Columbia apparatus together again. For those who appreciate fire service history, it was a special sight and a reminder of the generations of members who helped build the department into what it is today.
I was honored to be invited to serve as one of the judges alongside a great group of individuals with deep roots in the fire service. Spending the day with them and witnessing the pride, dedication, and attention to detail displayed by every participating organization was truly special.
Congratulations to all of the award winners—your hard work and commitment to representing your organizations was evident and well deserved.
Most importantly, thank you to every volunteer, participant, sponsor, vendor, mutual aid partner, and spectator who helped make today such a memorable day for Columbia and the Lancaster County fire service. This was a day I will never forget. 🚒🇺🇸❤️
Today, the members of the Columbia Borough Fire Department proudly hosted the Lancaster County Firefighters Parade in conjunction with Columbia’s 300th Anniversary celebration.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of the participating departments, organizations, food vendors, sponsors, spectators, and mutual aid partners who helped make this event a success. Events of this magnitude require a tremendous amount of support, and we truly appreciate everyone who contributed.
A special thank you goes out to Deputy Chief Brett Graham (Duty Chief) Paxtonia Fire Company and Middletown Fire Department for providing standby coverage during the parade, allowing our members the opportunity to participate in and enjoy the festivities.
Congratulations to all of our Best Appearing winners:
Float
🥇 Red Lion Band
🥈 Youth for Veterans
🥉 Hinkle’s Restaurant
Walking Group
🥇 Highland Pipe Band
Business Fleet
🥇 Patriot Towing
EMS
🥇 Life Lion EMS
Antique Apparatus
🥇 Scott Siefeat – 1955 B-Model
🥈 Terry Fix – 1935 Seagrave
🥉 East Petersburg Fire Company – Tele-Squirt
Aerial
🥇 East Petersburg Fire Company
🥈 Lincoln Fire Company – Tele-Squirt
Special Unit
🥇 Hellam Fire Company
Rescue
🥇 East Petersburg Fire Company
🥈 West Manchester Fire Company
🥉 East Donegal Township Fire Department
Tanker
🥇 Quarryville Fire Company
🥈 Robert Fulton Fire Company
🥉 Conestoga Fire Company
Engine
🥇 BART Township Fire Company
🥈 In*******se Fire Company
🥉 Mount Wolf Fire Company
Rescue Engine / Squad
🥇 Lampeter Fire Company
🥈 Witmer Fire Company
🥉 Bainbridge Fire Company
Judges Award
🏆 BART Township Fire Company
Thank you again to everyone who attended and participated in this special event celebrating both the Lancaster County fire service and Columbia’s 300 years of history.
