By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The 36th annual Montevallo Fire Prevention Parade will offer the typical stream of fire trucks, as well as the beginnings of a new tradition: An old-fashioned fire muster.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. Oct. 6 on Montevallo’s Main Street, and the fire muster will follow the parade in Orr Park. The fire muster will offer everything from food, vendors and face painting to firemen competitions.

One of the competitions will involve an “old-timey bucket brigade” in which firemen will toss buckets of water on a constructed house with gutters,” said J.D. King. The gutters empty into a barrel, and the team to fill the barrel the fastest is declared the winner, according to King.

King, who plans to donate his fire fighter memorabilia collection for Calera’s upcoming Alabama Firefighters’ Museum and Educational Center, said the parade and muster will kick off National Fire Prevention Week.

“This is something they’ve never done before,” King said of the muster. “They normally just have the parade, then have a lunch for the parade people. This is bringing a new element to it to get the community involved.”

Montevallo Fire and Rescue Lt. Brandon Broadhead said about 30 area fire departments will participate in the parade.

“We’ve been trying to make it a more community day,” Broadhead said. “People liked to come and see the trucks, but we didn’t really get the fire safety out there.”

The Alabama Power safety trailer will be on hand at the fire muster, as well as fire demonstrations and sprinkler safety. The fire trucks from the parade will line up in Orr Park for demonstrations, as well.

The community fire safety day and fire muster is sponsored by Montevallo Fire and Rescue, the Alabama firefighters’ museum and educational center and the Alabama Bucket Brigade.

The firemen will be tossing candy from the fire trucks during the fire prevention parade, Broadhead said. Anyone wishing to donate candy to the event can take bags of candy to the Montevallo Fire Station No. 1 on weekdays between 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.