The streets in Lake Harmony were lined with thousands of spectators as fire companies from all over the state took part in the 132nd Annual Firemen's Association of the State of Pennsylvania parade on Saturday.

The first thing firefighters noticed as they entered Lake Harmony was hundreds of welcoming banners hung throughout the trees and on front porches of homes and businesses.The parade, which included more than 200 firefighter apparatus and more than 35 marching groups and bands, ended the convention, which was hosted by both the Lake Harmony and Albrightsville fire companies.This marked the first time the convention was ever held in Carbon County.Bruce Berger, Chief, Albrightsville Fire Company, stated, "The parade took hundreds of hours of preparation and over two years of organizing."In addition to hundreds of firetrucks, the two hour parade consisted of bands, marchers, special equipment and firemen's displays. In preperation for the parade, fire companies throughout the area were staged to cover the Albrightsville and Lake Harmony areas in case of an emergency.Berger added that a mobile 911 unit from Northhampton was also brought in to help cover the area."We've been working on this for almost three years," said Ralph Lennon, Lake Harmony fire chief.Tom Bradley, Supervisor, Kidder Township, stated, "A lot of spectators came out along the route to watch the parade. Everyone had a great time."Bob Lengle, treasurer, Lake Harmony Fire Company and Supervisor, Kidder Township, mentioned that the parade required countless hours and dedication to make it successful.He added, "The fire company received 20 to 30 calls a day for weeks."Following the parade, 136 trophies were presented to participating fire companies and marching groups in various categories, ranging from best marchers, apparatus and antiques, at their finale celebration at the Galleria in Split Rock.Lennon stated Split Rock has been a major supporter of this year's convention.Next year's convention will be hosted by the Norristown Fire Department in Montgomery County.The results of the parade's trophy winners will be published in the TIMES NEWS at a later date.