Children Flock to Public Safety Day

Families from all over gathered at for the city’s first annual Fire Services and Public Safety Day on Saturday, hosted by the City of Agoura Hills Department of Community Services and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (L.A.F.D.).

The event included a fire station open house, fire safety demonstrations, a Shakey Quakey House, a rockwall, food and entertainment.  Local organizations such as the , the United States Army, and offered interactive activities.

The Los Angeles Country Fire Department has three operational regions: north, central and east. One Saturday in May, each of the regions hosts an event to showcase, not only local resources, but specialized programs, like Urban Search and Rescue, the hazardous materials team (hazmat), lifeguards and the forestry unit, according to Maria Grycan, community services liaison for the L.A.F.D.

"Agoura is part of the central weekend," said Grycan. "It’s an opportunity for the public to come and see all the different specialized resources that we have along with your basic fire engine and fire truck. We want to make the public aware of all of the services available to them, not only from the fire department, but from law enforcement and other local agencies."

Stephanie Scalene and her son, Jaidon Grossman, were driving on the freeway and saw the fire trucks on the side of the road. "My son wants to be a fire fighter and he freaked out,” said Scalene.  “We saw all the balloons and we had to stop by.” 

Grossman said he wanted to come, because he wanted to ask if he could honk the horn in one of the fire trucks.  "I like firetrucks because I want to be a firefighter and they are awesome!" said Grossman, enthusiastically.

Grossman had lots of questions for 22-year fire fighting veteran Markus Voegler, including whether or not Voegler fights a lot of fires. "I don't like to be too busy, but we've had a few house fires in the last few weeks," said Voegler, “But thats what we’re here for; we’re here to put the fires out.”  

"We get a lot of kids,” said Grycan. “We like to incorporate a lot of activities for them. When they come here, they have an opportunity to try on firemen’s 'turn out' (the heavy gear worn when they respond to an incident alarm) and see what its like to wear all of that."

Agoura resident Isla James, 8, said that shooting a fire hose and watching a car being cut open by the jaws of life was on her list of things to do.  She also thought the helicopter landing was “really cool,” she said.

When asked what she thought was the allure of firetrucks and firemen, Grycan responded, “Firefighters are heros to a lot of people, and they are generally a very humble group.  They say they are 'just doing their job,’ but they are out there saving lives, saving property.  They are the people who, when everybody else is running out of a building, they are the ones running in.  People respect that."