Mother Nature wasn’t fully cooperative Saturday, but a few thousand children and their parents still got to enjoy the many activities, booths, demonstrations and freebies at Family Safety Day in Central Park.
Presented by the Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, and sponsored by Kosciusko REMC and Lutheran Health Network/KCH, participating agencies ranged from local fire departments and law enforcement to health and safety organizations.
Warsaw Police Department offered a bike rodeo for children to ride around cones.
The department’s aquatics unit also offered boat rides. Before and during the rides, officers talked to kids about boat safety, wearing their life jackets, diving and swimming safety, according to WPD officer Justin “Tug” Curtis.
K-9 officers from WPD also gave demonstrations with their dogs, which drew a crowd.
Motor coaches for Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography and the American Red Cross bloodmobile returned. Kosciusko REMC offered bucket rides to kids in their bucket trucks.
Fire trucks from the Warsaw-Wayne Territory and Winona Lake Fire Department were on hand, as was the Kosciusko County fire trailer. Warsaw also offered an opportunity for kids to play a bean bag toss game.
For the second year in a row, Warsaw Kiwanis were giving away bicycle helmets to children. Mari Truman, project leader, said they had 200 helmets to give away this year on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“Our No. 1 goal is to help kids in this community, and this is another opportunity to do that,” she said.
Right outside the Center Lake Pavilion doors was a booth for Kosciusko County Velo cycling club on one side, with Lutheran Health Network on the other promoting healthy eating by giving away bananas and apples.
Inside the building, a person picked up a plastic bag to fill with goodies and information from the many organizations at their booths. Those included the American Red Cross, Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition, Walgreen’s, Medication Association & Dental, Parkview Warsaw, Walmart Vision Center, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Managed Health Services, Department of Child Services, Kosciusko County Head Start/Early Development, Personal Safety Unlimited, WPD and DARE, Lutheran Health Network, Early Start Prenatal Clinic, The Beaman Home, Bowen Center, Brightpoint, Hoosier Lakes Radio Club, Kosciusko County Tobacco Free Coalition, KC Recycling Depot and The Watershed Foundation.
There were more booths outside the pavilion, including Boy Scouts selling popcorn, TruHorizons and Sweetsakes Entertainment offering balloon art and a face painting table.
Protechs Inc. had its own prevention tent, while the Indiana State Police had a tent to talk about child safety seats. Children enjoyed the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department squad car sounding its sirens, which also offered a variety of goodies for the kids.
Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory has been offering kids an opportunity to ride the zip line in the park for a number of years, and this year was no different.
The Kosciusko County 4-H Shooting Sports offered free targeting shooting inside a trailer.
The Warsaw Department of Public Works let children – and some adults – put paint on their hands and then leave handprints on the snow plow blades. Stephen Prater, Public Works employee, said the blades will be clear coated and then used this winter.
Indiana Air National Guardsmen with the 19th CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or high-yield Explosive) Enhanced Response Force Package’s unit offered the public an opportunity to look at the Guard’s mobile treatment facility.
Spc. Cameron Teegarden, with the 438 Chemical Co. out of Indianapolis, explained how the mobile facility would be first on the scene in the event of a critical situation dealing with hazardous materials. He said it could help decontaminate up to 100 people an hour. A four- to six-man team could run it.
The trailer has a control unit with an automated control panel. It’s equipped with a 15 kw generator, two main water heaters for each side, a main air heater for climate control, a main water pressure tank and an outlet.
