Mystic — The Safety on Sea and Shore weekend returned to Mystic Seaport Saturday and Sunday after a multi-year hiatus, focusing on honoring first responders from yesterday and today.

The event, formerly known as First Responders Weekend, was put on hold for a time as the National Historic Landmark vessel Charles W. Morgan was restored, but some of the same groups came back for its reintroduction this year.

Scott Fricke, a member of the Westerly Fire Department for about 20 years and involved with the fire service since 1976, represented one of those groups. Sitting next to a line of four firetrucks — in great condition but as old as 155 years — Fricke was on hand to explain the history of the trucks and of the fire service in general.

"What's interesting is ... the progression of how the apparatus came into the fire service is right as we have them in line," Fricke said, looking at the old trucks.

Those who came by could see an 1860 Button & Blake hand-operated fire pump, a late-1800s steam-operated pump and two motorized pumpers from 1927 and 1953.

The trucks fulfilled a second part of the event's goal: to celebrate the people, methods and vehicles involved in sea and shore safety during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

There were activities, too, such as a man overboard drill, rescue animal demonstrations and a question-and-answer session with the crew of Mystic Fire Department's fire boat, Marine I.

Near the end of the second day, a staff member from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection showed a small crowd how to properly use multiple types of signal flares.

Ron and Leigh Reinhart, Niantic residents and Mystic Seaport members, didn't come specifically for the Safety on Sea and Shore weekend, but called the demonstration "very beneficial."

"We have a boat," Ron explained. "We've never had to shoot a flare ... but you don't want to wait till you need it to open up the instructional manual and try to figure it out."

At a booth near the firetrucks, Bruce Buckley, a volunteer with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, outlined another aspect of boat safety: life jackets.

In particular, he was enlightening adults about inflatable life jackets, a less bulky alternative to the traditional kind. He drew in some kids, too, by using Coastie, a noisemaking remote control boat complete with blinking eyes.

Buckley said it was an honor to be part of an event at the Mystic Seaport, whose mission is to inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.

"This event is something that recognizes first responders, and in this day and age, that's important," Buckley said. "People should just be cognizant of the fact that there's folks out there looking out for their best interests, and a lot of them are volunteers."

The Safety on Sea and Shore weekend was part of Connecticut's Coast Guard Summer, meant to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the founding of the United States Coast Guard and the 100th year of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at its current location in New London.

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle