It may have been a sweltering August afternoon, but heat is certainly no new obstacle for the firefighters – and other first responders – who came out to the first Touch-a-Truck event at Founders' Square Park.
Firetrucks, ambulances, and even the Lake County Sherriff’s helicopter lined the street to teach kids about fire safety and other emergency situations. Street vendors and live entertainment, like Valpo’s Good Time Cloggers, were also available alongside Portage’s new splash pad.
Click here to see all the photos from Touch-a-Truck Day!
According to Mayor of Portage James Snyder, the city created the event in hopes of bringing more people to the Sunday Farmers Market.
“We really need the market to take off, and in order to get good vendors you have to get good people,” Snyder said. “We knew the splash pad would help start getting us people, so we’re doing some other things to try to attract people.”
Portage Fire Department Assistant Chief Randy Wilkening explained that fire departments “love to help each other out,” and cities from all over the area were willing to provide vehicles.
“We’re always trying to get ourselves out with the public, make sure that they see that we’re out there, we’re helping,” Wilkening said. “It helps with the kids so they aren’t afraid of us and know we’re there.”
Wilkening’s favorite part of Touch-a-Truck was watching children and seeing the excitement in their faces when they sit in the firetrucks.
“We do quite a bit of that, but it never gets old to watch kids have fun on a firetruck,” Wilkening said.
Seven-year-old Jasmine Shultz said her favorite part of the event was going into South Haven Fire Department’s house fire simulation trailer, where firefighters taught her and others what to do if their home were to go up in flames.
“We watched a movie, then there was smoke, then we had to crawl through the smoke, then we went to the bedroom and went down the ladder, then they pick you up and put you on the ground,” Jasmine explained.
Lillian Shultz, 6, was shocked at the white smoke that came through the trailer when traveling to her escape route.
“I thought my glasses were blurry!” she said.
Overall, it was a great day for a great event and hats off to the Portage Fire Department and the first responders from all over Northwest Indiana for coming out to Founders' Square and making the kids' day.