New Jersey State Firemen's Convention

Wildwood, NJ

Welcome to the

New Jersey State Firemen's Convention Parade FAQ Page

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• General Parade Information - The  Annual New Jersey State Firemen's Convention Parade is the Parade ran by the local host organization in conjunction with the New Jersey State Firemen's Convention held in Wildwood, NJ. This year the parade will be on Saturday, of the Convention weekend starting at 1 PM Sharp. The approximate 2 and 1/2 mile Parade starts at Crocus Road in Wildwood Crest and travels on New Jersey Avenue ending at Eighth Avenue in North Wildwood. The parade is generally four and a half hours long and features over 300 pieces of apparatus by over 200 individual companies from four states. In addition 18 bands will perform on the parade route. After the Parade is over awarding of prizes will take place at the Wildwood Convention Hall at 9 PM.
   
  
• Judging Information - The official judges for the New Jersey State Firemen's Convention Parade is the New Jersey State Fire Chief's Parade Judges Association. All apparatus will be judged according to N.F.P.A. 1901 Guidelines. In addition to the formal judging there are general parade rules which primarily encompass rules of conduct. These rules are listed on the application and any violations may cause your removal from the parade route which will automatically disqualify your unit from judging. Decisions of the Judges are Final. For more information about the judges and what they are looking for please check their web page at: http://www.njstatejudges.org
   
   
  
• Applications: The Applications for the Parade are mailed in mid-June to all fire companies in New Jersey that are on our mailing list. We realize that no mailing list is complete so we ask that if your fire company does not receive it's application by July 1st, or has never received an application please email us with the information. Also note with the recent 9-1-1 installation statewide we are finding a small percentage of applications being returned by the post office for no such address. If your address has changed please advise us as soon as possible. Currently we are accepting applications via E-Mail. We ask that you first print out both sides of the Application and fill it out before going to the on-line application. You may also request an application to be mailed to you. Application requests prior to our general mailing will be held and mailed with the general mailing all requests afterwards will be mailed upon request. Please follow the following instruction to get an application.
  • Send email requests to : parade@njfireconvention.com
  • Send the following information to request an application via US Mail - Company Name, Full Company Address, County which the company is located (NJ only)
  • To print out an Application on-line you need to print out each side separately,
  • Application SIDE ONE (Press Here) Application SIDE TWO (Press Here)
  • On line applications accepted only using the ONLINE APPLICATION FORM                                               
• Prizes - Each year there over 55 trophies awarded for virtually every type of apparatus in use. Additionally Floats, Firemen's and High School Bands and Marching Units compete for $4500.00 worth of cash prizes. The Application contains the entire list of prizes and categories. When you get your application please circle the categories you are entering. This helps the judges to have appropriate number of judges for each category. Note - The Category for Judging Selected by the Official Judges. Different Counties in New Jersey submit County Trophies for apparatus from their county appearing in the parade. Note: County trophies are limited to 3 per county, size is limited to 30 inches for height and base area shall not exceed 12 inches by 12 inches. County trophies must be registered with the Parade Committee no later than August 15th.
   
   
   
  Parade FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

• Where is the check-in for pre-registered companies?  Check-in will be at the Anglesea Fire Company Fire House (this is where the final judging takes place) located at 2nd and New Jersey Avenue, North Wildwood - Have all responding apparatus use Exit 6 off of the Garden State Parkway. You may pick up your numbers on Saturday between 8AM - 1 PM.   OR YOU CAN REGISTER AT THE EXPO ON FRIDAY BETWEEN 1PM and 5PM -- THIS IS A CHANGE!!!                      
• If I send my application in early will I go to the front of the Parade? The parade is lined up by County. This assists the judges in judging for county trophies and has all the neighboring fire companies together. The Parade Committee depending on how many entries from one given county may line up the counties in different order each year.                                                         

• My fire company didn't receive an application? After many years of hit and miss trying to find a comprehensive mailing list we have resorted to only using the NJ Division of Fire Safety mailing list for New Jersey fire companies.  Every fire company will get an application as all fire companies are on that list, but... as some fire companies are listed under a larger department you may have to contact who ever gets your Div. of Fire Safety mail and make copies.   Hopefully in the upcoming years all applications will be handled on-line.
  
• If I pre-register via mail do I have register at the parade? Yes, pre-registering allows the Parade Committee to line up the parade but unless you register (actually check in for pre-registered companies) you will not know where you will line up at and your order in the parade. Remember If are not registered and don't have a line up number you will not be judged and won't be allowed in the parade.
  
• Will I get notice that you received my application and can I get where I'll be lined up prior to the parade date? No, we can't acknowledge that we receive all applications nor can we return phone messages to acknowledge this, however, if you request we can by Email acknowledge that we have received you application. As for parade lineup information the final list of those pre-registered is made up the day prior to the parade and updated on the morning of the parade. This information is simply not available as to allow the flexibility of last minute changes. Please do request it.
  
• Can a Fire Company from out of state march in the Parade? Yes, we have had units from Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Delaware appear in the parade.
  
• Where is the reviewing stand and judging areas? The reviewing stand will be located at 15th and New Jersey Avenues. The Judging will take place in the block before. Note that signs are posted on the parade route to alert bands, marching units and apparatus to the approach of the respective judging area.
  
• If my company doesn't win a prize will they get something to show that they were in the parade? Each company or department (not each piece of apparatus) will receive a participation plaque upon completion of the parade.
  
• What happens if my company breaks the rules? The parade is a controlled function you are invited to attend. Those companies that violate the rules of conduct will be removed from the parade and disqualified from competition. Further depending on the circumstances the Five Mile Beach Volunteer Firemen's Association - the host organization and which the parade committee is part of may contact the offending fire company's governing agency (Fire Chief, Mayor, City Manager, etc.) and suspend participation in the parade for a period of several years. Please note that actions described above rarely have been taken due to the professional manner exhibited by the vast majority of firefighters.
  
• My company has a special need to be done early, can I go earlier than usual? While we like to accommodate special requests, whether it be lineup location or parade position we simply can't. With the amount of requests that we would receive we don't have the time or resources to accommodate them. The parade committee tries to vary the line up list so that if your company was near the end of the parade one year it will be closer to the front the next. Please remember that the Parade Committee is comprised of volunteer firefighters all of which have full time jobs and have commitments to their individual fire companies, as well as the Parade Committee.
  
• What about Bands? High School Bands are placed in the parade every so often to provide entertainment. The FMBVFA provides a transportation stipend to High School Bands to allow them to participate in the parade. High School Bands competing for prizes must register separately and not via the fire company application, however please note the name of the high school band coming from your town so that we can line them before or after your units. Fire Companies are free to sponsor bands to compete for the NJ State Firemen's Championship Band, Drum Corps Contest and the Bag Pipe, Pipe Band Contest. Please note those competing for prizes must register separately.
  
• The parades a little long, can we start late or end early? To compete for prizes all units must complete the parade route. Units that leave the parade route will be disqualified. The parade is really no longer than most, but unlike some parades, the convention parade route is crowded with observers the entire length.
  
• I don't have email capabilities, can I call someone? The parade committee has a voice mail number you may leave a message at (609)-522-4222, but please note that all parade committee members work full time and returning phone calls sometimes is not as prompt as we would like it. Email via the form below should will get you a quicker answer. When you do call please talk clearly - leave your name, fire company, question and phone number. Read the above FAQ's first. Don't call about applications prior to them being mailed out or call for information that is not available.
  
• Do you accept suggestions? Yes, while the parade is a function of the host organization we also realize the parade is there for you. We like suggestions and accept constructive criticism. We would like them to be written down so that we can review them during an after convention critique session. Don't hesitate to submit suggestion and criticisms. Remember that the Parade Committee meets year round to plan the parade so that some suggestions may arrive after commitments have been made for this year and will be considered for next year.
   

  To get additional information about the Parade

   Email the parade committee directly at : parade@njfireconvention.com