Beginning at 11 a.m. and lasting into the afternoon, people filtered through Union County Fire Department Station No. 4 on Saturday, May 16, meeting volunteer firefighters and learning about the department during its annual open house.
Outside the station, fire trucks and emergency vehicles lined the parking lot for visitors to explore. Inside, firefighters hosted games and giveaways, served food and answered questions from guests. In the field behind the station, a life flight helicopter landed briefly before the crew was called away to respond to an emergency.
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“This is a chance for us to kind of collaborate and show the community what we do with their funds,” Station 4 Lt. David Ueltzen said. “They can see what we do, and it’s kind of like a show-and-tell for them, as well as a public relations thing for us.”
Union County Fire Chief David Dyer said open houses give residents an opportunity to better understand what happens behind the closed doors of their local fire stations, and residents in other parts of the county can look forward to additional open houses in the coming months.
“People drive by a fire station … but they don’t know what’s in it,” Dyer said. “They don’t know the firefighters; they don’t know all the equipment. So open house is the best opportunity for people to come here and see all the equipment, see the fire trucks and get a look at every little detail.”
Throughout the event, visitors played games to win door prizes including car washes from Wet N’ Wild, movie passes to Blairsville Cinema, T-shirts and parking passes from Poteete Creek Campground, memberships to Union General Wellness Center, gift cards from Chick-fil-A and Hole in the Wall, golf equipment from Butternut Creek Golf Course, hats and magazines from Tractor Supply and a hanging flower basket from Gracie’s Nursery.
They could also participate in a silent auction featuring a grill from Home Depot, additional memberships to Union General Wellness Center, a Charles Hubert men’s watch from Davis Jewelry, golf packages from Butternut Creek Golf Course, family passes to the Union County Recreation Pool and ticket packages to a Gwinnett Stripers minor league baseball game.
“We’ve been doing this for years, and it’s just our way of giving back,” Ueltzen said. “Door prizes are always a fun thing.”
Resident David Broesch, who lives near Station 4, brought two Dalmatians to the open house. He helped firefighters and visitors pose for photos with the dogs throughout the morning.
“The guys came out to install smoke alarms and stuff when we moved up here about a year and a half ago,” Broesch said. “They pulled the truck in the yard, and we had all seven dogs running around and took pictures. It was fun.”
So, when he heard about the open house on Saturday, Broesch grabbed two dogs and headed to the station.
Jordan Brown attended with her son, William, and she said they will “for sure” be returning for future open houses.
“It was really neat,” she said. “He got to spray the hose and see the Dalmatians and the helicopter.”
This year, the open house also marked a milestone for Ueltzen, who is retiring after 31 years volunteering with Union County Fire and nearly four decades fighting fires overall.
“It’s weird,” Ueltzen said through tears. “It’s a tough call. It’s just one of those things I didn’t want to do. I mean, I needed to do it, but I just had to get on with it.”
Though retiring from Station 4, Ueltzen said he doesn’t plan to step away from fire service entirely. He and his wife, Evelyn, who also volunteers at the station, are moving to be closer to family.
“I’m going to be involved in the little department up there where I’m moving,” he said. “I’ve already been contacted about helping out on some grants and stuff, so I’m not going to (really) leave it.”
What Ueltzen will miss most is the team at Station 4, made up of himself, his wife Evelyn, Daniel Byrd, Mark Carr, Bill Garrigan, Brian Gilliam, Shawna Harkins, Bill Lombardo, Jordan Young, Keith Hunter, David Przekop, Kelly Teague, Oliver Makorow, Michael Deyoe and Art Miller.
The volunteers at Station 4 expressed appreciation for all businesses and organizations that donated prizes and food for the open house Saturday.
