Held in honor of Bill and Ida Varnes for their devotion to the fire service, firefighters and firefighting history, this was the second attempt to hold this inaugural muster and what a wonderful day it was.

Bill was the founder of WRFBA in 1971 and served as president of the organization several times. He also served as president during the transition period of the WRFBA Foundation to the Western Reserve Fire Museum.

Welcoming participants was Parker Browne who served as the event coordinator and master of ceremonies. Once he was satisfied that everyone had arrived and that all of the apparatus owners had signed in their trucks, the signal was given to begin the parade. One by one the fire engines filed out of the park and made their way through downtown Hudson and back where, as they arrived.

After the parade the trucks were carefully arranged for a group photo. With the group shot taken, the party began.

One of the feature apparatus was Hudson’s 1859 hand drawn engine which was carefully moved to the water’s edge to demonstrate its drafting ability. Muster participants pumped away as children and adults alike took turns manning the nozzle.

At noon a potluck lunch was held in the park pavilion and after which a short service was held to pay tribute to our good old friends and founders, Bill and Ida.

With the busy schedule the day went by quickly and everyone had a memorable time. Thank you to all who participated making this inaugural Bill and Ida Varnes Memorial Muster a fantastic success.