NEWFOUNDLAND-- Sirens screamed, veterans saluted and there were plenty of waves and smiles, as the annual 4th of July parade made its way down Main Street in Newfoundland.
This year folks here have a extra reason to celebrate. The new Greene-Dreher fire hall is finally, officially open.
After the parade the occasion was marked with an open house and a barbeque.
Fire Chief Pete Mulcahy tells Newswatch 16 it took plenty of patience getting here, explaining,"It's been the last 4 years of my life."
He adds,"It's been overdue for about 15 years, we started this project back in 2013 with a set of drawings and then we went from there."
The addition cost around 350,000 dollars. Around 310,000 of that came from a state grant. Navigating the red tape was a challenge.
Along with space for the newest fire truck, the facility also has an area for training, offices, and even an exercise room.
Mulcahy hopes the new digs will help attract additional volunteers.
Visiting firefighters who took part in the parade offered their compliments.
"When you open up the doors, you want to be able to fit your truck in, and with some of the older buildings you can't do that, so they stepped up, they did the right thing,"says Brian Byrnes of the Lake Ariel Fire Company.