Inside Warren welcomes intern Amanda Kilyk. A sophomore at the University of Connecticut, she is a staff writer for The Daily Campus. A previous version of this article has been shared elsewhere. Keep an eye out for more of Amanda’s work in the coming weeks!

By Amanda Kilyk

Mansfield’s first responders celebrated 19 children’s birthdays amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic through birthday parades, but the events were canceled mid-April over concerns of safety.

Parents had been able to request a “birthday parade” featuring emergency response vehicles to celebrate their child’s birthday when they would otherwise be spending their time in isolation. The Tri-County Fire Company would then pass by the requested addresses on Wednesdays or Sundays, depending on which day parents requested the drive-by for.

Mansfield’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) posted the idea on Facebook at the end of March and invited parents to provide their child’s birthday and road name for a birthday drive-by. On April 13, the OEM then shared a post from the Tri-County Volunteer Fire Company, who had run the events, that announced they would stop organizing them out of concerns for safety and to abide by state guidelines.

“Unfortunately we will be cancelling the birthday runs effective today,” the Facebook post said. “The members and officers feel that it is important to be there for the community we serve even in the toughest of times. However to comply with a memo sent down from the state and in order to ensure that our members remain healthy to respond to emergencies we are suspending doing these drive-bys.”

The OEM and Tri-County Fire Company finished the post by thanking community members for their continued support.

During those few weeks, the department organized a total of 19 birthday runs, Peter Hannah, the Coordinator of Emergency Management in Mansfield Twp., said in May via email. They also organized an Easter Bunny-themed run to celebrate the holiday.

“The drive pass by all the first responders was an idea I thought that would uplift the community spirit and help the kids celebrate their birthday as they were unable to have a party, so we brought the celebration to them very loudly,” Hannah explained.

There was an outpour of support praising the department for bringing the community closer and thanking the first responders for their efforts during the pandemic. 

The popularity of the events grew quickly.

A follow-up post asked parents to email the OEM, as the volume of requests continued to rapidly increase. Another shared that only Mansfield Township requests could be accommodated.

“We used two Fire Company engines and two fire command vehicles, two ambulances and two police vehicles,” Hannah said. “All emergency vehicles drove past slowly and did not stop at any time. All families were advised to stay at their front doorway or windows and not gather with neighbors.” 

Emergency Management in a Pandemic

The OEM has received many donations of supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE), which Hannah said has been an enormous help during the pandemic.

“The OEM has been able to supply our first responders with the appropriate PPE but it is limited and we are obtaining more supplies by generous donations,” he said.

Warren County announced it was seeking donations for emergency responders in March, soliciting help especially from businesses like nail salons and dental offices that were closed but maintain a stock of PPE.

As of May 23, there have been 114 reported cases of COVID-19 in Mansfield, and there have been 30 known recoveries, according to the Warren County New Jersey website.