Carmel Fire Auxiliary And CarmelFest Parade Spectators Set World Record

The Carmel Fire Auxiliary was able to set the world record for the most people wearing red plastic fire helmets at the CarmelFest parade this year. This past July 4th, parade attendees donned their red plastic fire helmets and looked to the sky as a drone flew over taking a tally of just how many folks were participating. The official number: 14,834! This number was certified by Record Setters.

Angie Edwards, Auxiliary Board Member, came up with the idea of setting a world record with the most people wearing red fire helmets. She thought it would be a zany fun thing to bring the community together. The Board met with Jeff Worrell, Grand Marshal of this year’s parade and Carmel City Councilman, and he was instantly supportive of the fun idea.

They coordinated with the Carmel Police Department, who had one licensed drone pilot, and Carmel Fire Department who provided the other licensed drone pilot. Together with the City IT department, they were able to add street camera views and “regular” pictures. There were over 50 volunteer strategically placed along the parade route passing out the helmets.

Pictured above is the Auxiliary Board presenting a thank you plaque to the citizens of Carmel via the City Council meeting. “We are grateful for everyone who participated, and grateful to our sponsors who purchased the helmets: KBSO, Studio M, Ryan Fire Protection, F. A. Wilhelm, Koorsen and Local 4444. We passed out almost 17,000 helmets. We also collected the helmets back from anyone who didn’t want to keep theirs and recycled them,” said Renee L. Butts, Public Education Officer for Carmel Fire Department.

“We had a limited window due to the military flyover (we coordinated with the Fort Wayne 122nd Fighter Wing)—we had to be done with our drones 15 minutes prior to their scheduled 10:30 flyover,” explained Butts. “We submitted all the evidence to Record Setters and waited ‘patiently’. Finally, we were certified. YAY!!”

The whole parade route was 2.1 miles long, so counting the participants was quite a feat. And to add to the occasion, Spiderman and local hero Spokes (the mascot for Bike Carmel) took part!

The Carmel Fire Auxiliary does amazing work in and around the Carmel Community. Their mission is to create, support and improve outreach programs that enhance the Carmel community, ensuring a positive environment for growth. Events like this world record allow the Auxiliary to meet that goal.