The Fitchburg Police Department, Fitchburg Fire Rescue and Fitch-Rona EMS will be participating in “Friday Night Lights” this Friday May 15, and next Friday, May 22. “Friday Night Lights” is a neighborhood emergency vehicle parade that will travel through the Fitchburg community.
What is Friday Night Lights?
Fitchburg’s Friday Night Lights is modeled after the “Friday Night Lights” event launched by the Seattle Police & Fire Departments in response to the pandemic. In its simplest form, it is a parade of emergency vehicles through the streets of our community.
As agencies that work within the fabric of the community, we’ve missed our non-emergency interactions with those we serve. We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the community, whether they are essential workers, volunteers helping others, parents, teachers, or anyone that has done their part to keep Fitchburg healthy during this pandemic.
We also know the pandemic has affected and impacted everyone in different ways, with mental and physical impacts, lost jobs, canceled plans, etc. At the same time we also have confidence in the resiliency of this great community we are honored to serve.
This event is an opportunity to exchange waves, recognize the impact of the pandemic on our community, along with our collective response to it and finally as a reminder that we remain on duty and committed to serving Fitchburg.
The event this Friday coincides with Peace Officers Memorial Day.
How Can I Participate?
We are planning two events, May 15 and May 22. Between the two events, we plan to drive through as many neighborhoods in Fitchburg as possible. Recognizing the city encompasses 35 square miles and hundreds of miles of roadway, we unfortunately will not able to cover every block. We hope to have more personnel available to participate in the event next Friday to allow us to cover more ground.
With the Safer at Home order still in place and with the potential for a public health impact, we do not want to publish a route which could encourage congregation. Instead we have identified neighborhoods in which a caravan of emergency vehicles will travel for a designated period of time. The caravan will be slow moving with emergency lights and intermittent sirens. We believe the pace of the vehicles will allow residents time to step outside if they are not already.
This Friday, May 15, we will focus on the following areas of our city:
- Jamestown Neighborhood 6:00 to 6:15 p.m.
- Seminole Forest, Stoner Prairie, Lacy Heights, and Wildwood 6:20 to 6:40 p.m.
- Oak Meadow & Quarry Hill 6:40 to 7 p.m.
Please note times are approximate. Because we are emergency responders, calls for service may impact our availability and/or timeline.
When the vehicles are in your neighborhood we encourage you to be present in your driveway, yard, on your porch, or just looking out the window. Please be respectful of your neighbors, practice physical distancing, and avoid gathering in groups outside of your household.
We will share the map for the event on May 22 early next week.
