Silent Alarm parade honors fallen firefighters

SANDUSKY — On Sunday, Oct. 8, members of Erie County-area fire departments will, once again, gather to commemorate the opening of Fire Prevention Week by participating in a parade of fire and other emergency apparatus. The 29th-annual Silent Alarm parade will form at the Erie County Services Center parking lot at 5 p.m. and will depart at 5:30 p.m. with a procession of fire equipment north along Columbus Avenue in Sandusky and ending at the Erie County Firefighters Memorial, which is located on the east lawn of the Erie County Courthouse. Following along with the theme of the parade, the fire equipment will be driving at a slow pace with lights flashing but will not be using sirens or horns. "This is our way of presenting a solemn reminder to the public of the need to pause and consider the dangers that are commonly associated with the presence of unfriendly fire," according to an event statement. A short ceremony will be conducted at the memorial, which will include the reading of the annual Fire Prevention Week proclamation by an Erie County commissioner and the calling of the last alarm in remembrance of the following 13 Erie County firefighters who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty: • Sandusky fire Chief John Unckrich — Dec. 13, 1891 • Sandusky fire Capt. Adam Hartung — March 23, 1908 • Sandusky fire Lt. Fred Rudolph — Jan. 13, 1914 • Sandusky firefighter Cornelius O'Neil — Oct. 29, 1914 • Sandusky firefighter Henry Rudolph — Feb. 23, 1917 • Sandusky fire Capt. Michael McLaughlin — Feb. 8, 1934 • Sandusky firefighter William Hayes — Jan. 25, 1935 • Bay View firefighter Robert Livermore — March 17, 1966 • Sandusky firefighter Roscoe Klepper — Sept. 1, 1966 • Sandusky fire Capt. William Bird — Nov. 24, 1969 • Milan Township firefighter Robert Koch — Feb. 11, 1971 • Perkins firefighter Thomas Jenkins — Oct. 1, 1977 • Perkins firefighter Frederick Melville Jr. — Oct. 1, 1977 "We encourage the family members of the 13 fallen firefighters and all residents to attend the silent parade and memorial," the statement read. "This event will be conducted rain or shine."