A longtime dream of retired El Cajon Fire Chief Ed Jarrell was to open a fire museum. That dream came to fruition at Parkway Plaza and was celebrated at their grand opening held on July 18 with the opening of the El Cajon Fire History Museum and Learning Center.
El Cajon resident, Crista Charles, attending the grand opening summed it up.
“This is a part of our history,” she said.
A longtime dream of retired El Cajon Fire Chief Ed Jarrell was to open a fire museum. That dream came to fruition at Parkway Plaza and was celebrated at their grand opening held on July 18 with the opening of the El Cajon Fire History Museum and Learning Center.
El Cajon resident, Crista Charles, attending the grand opening summed it up.
“This is a part of our history,” she said.
Charles looked forward to bringing her 22-month-old son, Jackson, to the museum on a regular basis.
Heartland fire personnel, former firefighters, current firefighters and El Cajon City Council members, plus many others showed up to support the museum at a ceremony that kicked off with cookies, a little fire truck supplied by Rob Burggema’s Little Fire Truck Company, and comments.
Jarrell took time after the ceremony to highlight some of the museum’s contents. Antique fire equipment, a time line of the El Cajon Fire Department’s history starting off with a picture of W.D. Hall, and pictures from fires and firefighting efforts in the El Cajon area.
Acting as a current aid to firefighting efforts Jarrell pointed out that the museum will have quarterly presentations relating to fire safety and educating kids and adults alike how to deal with fires.
Jarrell pointed out that while a website will be constructed in the future the museum currently has a FaceBook page to visit for news and activities. The El Cajon Fire History Museum and Learning Center’s hours are currently set at weekends 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., with weekday hours set at noon to 6 p.m.
