GRAND FORKS - Firefighters from Emerado caught the attention of federal base closing commission members in 1995 by shooting an arch of multi-colored water over their motorcade.

"Our red, white and blue water has been the talk of BRAC people ever since," Jo Ann Renfrow said. "I've been in meetings at the Pentagon, and people have brought it up."

Renfrow plans to bring out the three fire hoses shooting dyed water again, on Wednesday morning, for a rally along U.S. Highway 2.

Members of the federal base closing and realignment commissioner are coming to Grand Forks to hear about the impact of Pentagon proposals to take away the base's air refueling tankers and most of its personnel. Thursday's hearing also will consider the future of the Air National Guard base in Fargo, and a Pentagon proposal to remove its fighter planes.

The Fargo Guard unit and the Grand Forks base would be in line for a new mission involving unmanned aerial vehicles, under the Pentagon plans.

The three federal commissioners will get another look at the water rainbow Thursday morning as they head to the hearing at the University of North Dakota's Chester Fritz Auditorium. Weather permitting, the Grand Forks Fire Department will duplicate the arch of colored water as the commissioners travel down the city's University Avenue.

Renfrow, who owns a landscaping business that does business on the Grand Forks Air Force Base, is organizing the Wednesday rally. Many employers, including those from Grand Forks city and county, have given permission to employees to miss work to attend.

"We're expecting a large group because a lot of people are very, very concerned. The commissioners will get a very large welcome," said Diane Blair, an executive with the area chamber of commerce.

Renfrow has enlisted the help of 100 businesses, many of them contractors, doing commerce with the base. Some from as far away as Fargo are to line the highway shoulders with their trucks and other construction equipment. Buses from 18 school districts also will be parked, showing how many schools would be hurt by a closure or realignment.

The contractors are not only supplying the people and visual aids along the route, but also paying their employees to attend Thursday's hearing, Renfrow said.

People remember when the Grand Forks base lost its missile unit in an earlier base closing round, she said.

"The support has been greater this time than in 1993 and 1995," Renfrow said. "People realize it's not just the value of the dollar. They know that when the missiles left, they were impacted in other ways, like losing friends and members of their congregation. They don't want anything to happen like that again."