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Our Department participated in the City of Lancaster's National Night Out event on August 7 by participating in the Public Safety Fair and Emergency Expo which was held at Deputy Pierre Bain Parkin Fire Station 33's district. This park was named after an L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy Motorcycle Officer who was killed in the line of duty in Lancaster while chasing a vehicle in Fire Station 135's jurisdiction several years ago.
Department apparatus including new Quint 33, USAR 130, Rescue Tender 130 and BC 11 were on display. The Department staffed a booth with explorers from Post 11, Community Services Representative Carmen Mackey, Division 5 Office Assistant Eileen Miranda and Fleet Service Division's Intermediate Typist Clerk Cari Hughes handing out plastic fire helmets and badge stickers to kids, wildland fire safety materials and other information about our Department. The Division 5 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) booth was staffed by trained citizen CERT volunteers who demonstrated how to shutoff utilities, handed out disaster preparedness materials and signed-up people for the next two CERT Class planned for the Antelope Valley in October. Both booths were visited by the local media and city council members.
The event started at 3:00 p.m. in 107-degree heat which kept the crowds thin until the evening, when folks returned home from work and the heat died down. Citizens were given safety and preparedness information by American Medical Response Ambulance, Target Corporation, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, City of Lancaster Public Worksand host of other private businesses. The City of Lancaster estimates that about 1,000 people attended this event, which was also broadcast live on a local rock radio station. The radio station presented some of our personnel with a live-feed interview encouraging listeners to stop by the event. Time Warner Cable Company filmed various personnel at booths, including the Department CERT booth, showing people how to be more prepared for a disaster.
Community outreaches like this one, are extremely important for our Department. Members participating in these events should be enthusiastic when greeting the public and talking about our organization and emergency responsibilities. Meeting the public we serve is a true value to the community is fulfilling our goal of hometown attentiveness. |
