Four-alarm birthday party
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 9 months AGO
Lukas Petroskie, with dad Matt and mom Hannah, watches the Northern Lakes Fire District units and police vehicles pass his Rathdrum home Wednesday afternoon to celebrate his fourth birthday.
Photos by BILL BULEY/Press
Lukas Petroskie, with dad Matt Petroskie, smiles at the procession of passing fire trucks and police cars outside his Rathdrum home Wednesday.
BILL BULEY/Press Lukas Petroskie and dad Matt Petroskie walk along and check out the procession of fire trucks and police vehicles coming down their Rathdrum street Wednesday to celebrate the boy's fourth birthday.
BILL BULEY/Press Rathdrum Police officer Scott Kennedy presents a gift to Lukas Petroskie, standing with dad Matt and mom Hannah, as they watch the Northern Lakes Fire District units and police vehicles pass their Rathdrum home Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the boy's fourth birthday.
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | April 9, 2020 1:12 AM
Firefighters, police come out to celebrate with Lukas Petroskie and family
RATHDRUM — Hannah Petroskie called the Northern Lakes Fire District last week with a request to help celebrate her son’s fourth birthday.
“All I asked for was one engine to drive down the street for his birthday and then it just kind of went from there,” she said.
Did it ever.
About 10 firefighting rigs and police cars joined the short procession to honor Lukas Petroskie on Wednesday afternoon, and much of the neighborhood came out to watch, too, presenting Lukas with cards.
Wearing his red fire chief hat and coat, Lukas grinned and waved excitedly. He seemed awe-struck when he was presented with gifts including a toy fire truck, Legos and commemorative coins.
One of the real fire trucks even sent a blast of water high in the sky.
It was a heckuva party.
“We didn’t think it was going to be that magnitude,” said Matt Petroskie, Lukas’s dad. “We thought it was one or two trucks.”
What they got surprised even mom and dad.
“It was incredible. It was like a parade coming down the street,” Matt said. “It was extremely nice of them, more than we could have hoped for.”
Chris Larson, NLFD spokesman, said when Hannah asked about a single fire truck, they decided they could do better, especially in this time of the coronavirus.
“We have so many unsung heroes,” he said.
NLFD Fire Chief Pat Riley said they were glad to help Lukas celebrate his birthday.
When things settle down, Riley said he plans to return and give Lukas and his family department hats and T-shirts, too.
“And truthfully, we needed this, too. This is as good for us as it is for them, trying to get back to some degree of normalcy that we enjoyed before,” he said.
Matt said his son seemed a bit overwhelmed as he saw the long line of fire trucks, Idaho State Police and Rathdrum Police vehicles rolling down his street, lights flashing, horns honking and sirens sounding.
“That’s really special, huh Luke?” he said.
“Yeah,” the boy answered, then later added, “I never had a birthday before like this.”
When asked if he wanted to be a firefighter, Lukas nodded.
“Yeah,” he said. “I want to be the biggest firefighter.”
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