By Pauline Masson –
When Pacific emergency and tourism leaders host a Safety Fair in Liberty Field Park this month, they are drawing on a community education project introduced 22 years ago.
On October 6, 2001, then Alderman Rick Layton kicked off the first out-door modern day community safety awareness day on the parking lot of Queens IGA store (currently B & H Market) and, I have to tell you . . . Pacific had never seen anything like it.
There had been safety awareness days before this. But they were indoors in the Pacific Eagles hall, organized by the Pacific High School Health Occupations students and focused on child safety. But Mr. Layton’s fair was a community wide age 2 to 92 safety “how to take care of yourself” day.
The idea took hold when Mayor Jill Pigg assigned alderman Layton to serve on the city safety committee. He was an outdoor guy. He had been organizing an annual Brush Creek clean-up for several years. After the success of his safety fair he began lobbying for an annual city fireworks show. It took him a couple of more years before that became a reality. Once it took hold it continues to this day. But his safety awareness day idea took off like hotcakes.
This was before the car show moved to downtown and before Railroad Day welcomed the old steam train on its last run. Who knew there were so many experts out there that were that focused on safety?
As you might guess Mr. Layton’s biggest supporter for the event was the Pacific Police Department. As a key member of the safety committee the late Police Chief Ron Reed said he and other emergency agency directors had sent out 38 letters to agencies involved in some aspect of public safety.
When I arrived at 9:00 a.m. it looked as though everyone who received an invitation turned out. Soon the Air Evac helicopter whirred overhead and landed on the patch of grass at the edge of the parking lot. After the rotors stopped spinning youngsters were allowed to climb on board
Police, fire and ambulance districts brought their big equipment and helped one youngster after another climb into the driver’s seat.
One agency provided free child ID kits. One booth showed parents how to install child scar seats. And those stellar Pacific High School Health Occupation students set up a booth to show kids how to brush their teeth, after which they handed out free tooth brushes. Nutritionists handed out vitamins and nutrition plans to people of all ages.
Eyeing all this activity Mayor Pigg had a prescient moment. Without a note in her hand, she rattled off for this reporter a plan to organize first responders, civic leaders, health providers, and utility firms to assure the safety of residents in future emergencies or disasters. It was the origin and basis of the emergency management plan that the city still updates and uses to this day.
Kids were everywhere running from one exhibit to another – firemen, police officers, police explorers, churches, musicians, and restaurants, gathered on the IGA lot for a five-hour exhibition on safety awareness. The Pacific High School jazz band provided background music, like some panoramic movie scene.
The Calvary Pentecostal Church Choir and Missionary Community Church Praise Band performed. At 12:00 noon, the Meramec Valley Middle School Choir sang a medley of patriotic songs.
The town’s showboater Postmaster Carol Marley held a postage stamp look alike contest at her booth and local restaurants provided prizes for the youngster voted to look most like the postage stamp image of Elvis, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart, James Dean and Alfred Hitchcock.Rose Hill Church star vocalist Aisha Allen opened the contest singing God Bless America.
Police officers fingerprinted small children in the Child Identification program booth. Meramec Ambulance District personnel demonstrated child car seat installation.
Children sat shoulder to shoulder in rapt attention at the edge of the grass as an off duty officer guided his police dog through a search for something he had planted in a patch of dirt.
The whole idea – which seems to be the idea this year – was to show youngsters how to keep themselves safe while crossing the street, getting on and off the school bus, facing disasters like fires and auto accidents, falls, rough-housing and even how to prevent tooth cavities.
If it sounds like I might be exaggerating, I have to admit I was a bit overwhelmed by the scope and crowd enthusiasm of it all. My biggest regret is that while I took a lot of notes, I did not take enough pictures.
It was my first big outdoor do for Pacific and it was amazing. I’m writing about it now to promote the City’s Safety Fair to be held at Liberty Field Park on Saturday, August 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Just like Mr. Layton’s expo, first responders promise to bring their big rigs for the kids to climb on. Touch a Truck is the theme line of the big poster that advertises the event. If you go, you will not be disappointed. I promise you these are the experts who can capture the attention of youngsters and start them thinking about how to keep themselves safe.
Mark your calendar.
