The annual Public Safety Day took place on Saturday, Sept. 19. Firefighters, policemen and special animal units set up their trucks and booths at Leesville Road High School.
The day consisted of safety displays and tips on how to stay safe. Fire trucks and police cars lined the aisles of the student parking lot where hundreds of people flocked to get a glimpse of them. There were even several inflatable things for kids to play on, such as a slide and moon bounce.
“I think it is a great way for the community to see what our firefighters and policemen do and experience some of those things for themselves,” said Greg Bass, a senior at Leesville who attended.
Demonstrations took place throughout the day. Firefighters showed how a person is cut from a car and the proper way to use a fire extinguisher. At one end of the parking lot, you could even experience what it would be like to be in a car crash if you were not wearing a seatbelt. One officer in the K9 unit walked around with his dog, stopping to let people pet her, and an officer in the mounted division gave children rides on her horse.
Everything was free, even the food. Cross Culture Church, which meets in Leesville’s auditorium on Sundays, gave away free hotdogs, drinks, popcorn and snow cones. They also provided things for the kids such as puppet shows, face painting, crafts and mini games.
Around 1:00 a helicopter landed in the outfield of the baseball field and within thirty minutes another followed. Kids were allowed to see them close up and about fifty took advantage of this rare event. Overall, it was a major hit.
The event wrapped up at 4:00 and the fire trucks and police cars slowly dispersed, with the exception of a few who left early for emergency purposes.
