By Marisa Dawson

Over 120 kids and families packed the Bennington Fire Department this morning for the Bennington Public Library’s wildly popular Out & About Storytime – the grand finale of the fall season!

The station was filled with warm hearts and excitement as Librarian Johnna Bierman kicked things off with songs and dances, followed by Firefighter Riley Snoderly reading the high-energy favorite Fire Engine No. 9 by Mike Austin. After more rounds of songs including “Hurry Hurry Drive the Firetruck” (complete with all the kids climbing imaginary ladders and spraying hoses), Bierman wrapped up the stories with Firefighter Flo! by Andrea G. Zimmerman. The grand finale? Families explored the fire trucks, climbed aboard, asked the crew a million questions and snapped tons of photos with our local heroes.

Firefighter Riley Snoderly shared why he loves participating, especially having kids himself: “I like giving back to the kids. You know, I love it… It’s really important to these kids to see role models up there. They really look up to us and I like showing them a bright, happy face.” He added that he hopes the children “see us as role models and they can get some fire safety information.” He also hopes to inspire kids who are interested in a career in firefighting.

Librarian Johnna Bierman called the morning a huge success even with the firefighters already handling two calls before everyone arrived: “The firefighters had a busy morning… and they were still gracious and kind enough to let everybody come in and start exploring the station and willing to read a book to the kids.” With around 125–130 attendees, this annual event remains one of the library’s most anticipated of the year.

Mark your calendars – the next adventure is this Saturday, November 22 at 10 a.m. at the Bennington Public Library when nationally-known musher Karen Land brings her sled dog Sophia to the library! It’s all-ages and promises to be paws-itively amazing.

Photos By Marisa Dawson