It’s that night of the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair that’s a gleaming, blaring, whirling truck-loving kid’s dream. It’s Firefighters’ Night; and it was last night at the fair.

First responders from all over the state ride in on their firetrucks, lights flashing, sirens blaring, horns beeping. They gather on the fair grounds to celebrate the camaraderie inherent in their volunteer service to their communities and the fair tradition, Fair Haven Fire Department as their host.

Always been that way. In fact, more than half a century ago, this Fair Haven kid was a 12-year-old pigtailed nerd inflating helium balloons for the visiting firefighters at the now-gone Grab Bag Booth that was always stationed center fairgrounds. There are no more balloons, not that any present firefighters are grabbing onto a memory like that which has long floated away to the vast heavens. And there are no longer eager 12-year-olds working at the fair at night — not that anything’s wrong with that.

This Fair Haven kid of an unmentionable, yet pretty painfully obvious, age is pretty happy to have the indelible, clueless kid memory of beer-scented wafts and helium-inhaling celebrants.

So, cheers to a new generation of firefighters and the old Firemen’s Night (what it used to be called)!

Take a look at the photo gallery below for a glimpse into the night, courtesy of Fair Haven Fire Department media. See if you know any of these firefighters from near and far. (CLICK on one photo to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy!)

— Photos/FHFD Media

• Prosecutor Sets Record Straight on Rumson Shooting
• Prosecutor: 19-Year-Old Fugitive Wanted in Area Murder Found
• Full Details on Early Morning Rumson Incident Not Yet Verified by Authorities
• Prosecutor’s Office Launches Domestic Violence Unit
• Retro School Daze: The Rope Lady