The Brownsville Sports Park was filled with excitement and community spirit on Saturday as the Brownsville Fire Department hosted its 2nd Annual Fire Fest, a family-friendly event celebrating fire safety, community engagement, and public service.
The highlight of the day was the unveiling of a new $1.2 million fire engine, generously donated by NextDecade Rio Grande LNG to the Brownsville Fire Department. The state-of-the-art vehicle will significantly enhance the department’s emergency response capabilities and underscores a shared commitment to public safety across the City of Brownsville.
Residents enjoyed a wide range of activities, including safety demonstrations, live music, food and games, pony rides, a car show, and a fireworks show to close out the evening.
One of the most popular demonstrations gave residents the opportunity to learn hands-only CPR using training mannequins provided by the Fire Department. Firefighter Andrew Cervantes emphasized the importance of learning these life-saving skills.
“Let’s just say you are out at a restaurant and a person suddenly collapses and becomes unresponsive,” Cervantes said. “When a patient goes into cardiac arrest, it’s critical to get chest compressions started as soon as possible.”
In addition to CPR instruction, “Stop the Bleed” classes were also offered, teaching attendees how to respond effectively in bleeding emergencies before professional help arrives.
The Brownsville Fire Department’s Fire Fest continues to grow as an annual tradition, bringing families together while empowering the community with essential emergency response knowledge.
