Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

The Dewey Fire Department led the charge on Wednesday night when it came to hosting a parade for residents in the area that are having to quarantine at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

This is a trying time, and people have cabin fever like Assistant Fire Chief Cody Meade at the volunteer fire department in Dewey.

Like most people, Meade has been out of work for two weeks or so. He said he works at the Phillips Research Center in Bartlesville, and he could be off for another month at least. People are tired at being at home, and Meade said they are ready to get back to work.

But in the meantime, the Dewey Fire Department, Meade and others knew that putting on a parade full of emergency vehicles would brighten people's faces in the city. Meade said they especially wanted to do this for the kids and the elderly in the community.

14 emergency vehicles paraded through the streets of Dewey on Wednesday night in an effort to bring a smile to those that are having to quarantine at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meade said they just wanted to be there for the community that might be feeling a little bit nervous. He said they have always had great support from the City of Dewey and its citizens, so they just wanted to get out, say "hi," and put cheer back into the community.

There was no specific route for the parade. Meade said they did have to be somewhat cognizant of the neighbors they were in so they wouldn't get their big trucks stuck in a dead end or cul de sac. He said they had to play it by ear, but they tried touching every corner of their city.

There was no set time for how long the parade would be either. Meade said all involved had to be prepared to respond to an emergency if something were to go awry. He added that they stayed in line with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines during the parade as well.

That meant everyone stayed in their vehicles while they cruised the neighborhoods to bring joy to the public. Meade said no treats were thrown. He said they practiced social distancing to the best of their ability.

The excitement was building, and Meade said they were happy to be there for the community. He said it was also nice for them to get out because their response to calls have been few and far in between lately. This was a great opportunity for them to "stretch their legs."

The idea came from Dewey Public Schools as teachers for the district put on a similar parade a few weeks ago. Meade added that he also sifted through ideas from the Oklahoma Fire Department Facebook page. He said the fire department rallied people together to create a solid plan for the parade before taking to the streets on Wednesday.

Dewey City Manager Kevin Trease praised the fire department for putting on the parade for the city’s citizens. He said the Dewey Fire Department and other emergency responders are in the COVID-19 fight together, and that they are for the people in need.

The Dewey Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Copan Fire Department and Washington County Emergency Management joined the Dewey Fire Department’s parade. Each agency brought up morale for themselves and for those at home doing what they can to see the light at the end of the tunnel as we all fight through the coronavirus crisis together.

To listen to the audio version of this story, click here.

(Photo courtesy: Cody Meade)