By SALINA POST
Saline County Emergency Management joined over 38 million neighbors across 18,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, and military bases worldwide for National Night Out on Aug. 13. The event was held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Jerry Ivey Park in Salina.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes strong police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live and work.
"We're excited to bring together a variety of departments and community partners, showcasing the multifaceted efforts that go into making our community a safe and enriching place to live," said Michelle Weis, Saline County Emergency Management Department Director. "National Night Out provides an invaluable opportunity to deepen our connections with the community we serve."
The event featured interactive opportunities from the Salina Police Department, Fire Department, K-9 Units, Mounted Patrol, Sheriff's Office, Health Department, and more. These organizations offered engaging activities, demonstrations, and educational exhibits with a unique chance for community members to interact with and learn about the work of our first responders and public health officials.
Weis said they are considering changing the date National Night out is celebrated in Saline County.
"I will say that we had a really good turnout for the weather that we had," Weis said. " I will say it was better than last year, but still a little warm. I would be remiss if I said that we weren't looking at changing the time of year that we hosted this event in the future for lessons learned after today's event."
"We had the fire department, and they had brought an ambulance and an engine. We also had the fire marshal out there, who provided some information on fire safety," Weis said. "We had the clerk's office that is out here encouraging people to register to vote, and also, if you would like to assist or volunteer or get paid to be an election worker. They're also taking applications for that."
The Saline County Sheriff's Office allowed attendees to try on a pair of "beer glasses" which replicate what a person's vision is like while driving drunk. Central Kansas Mental Health and Kansas Wesleyan were also represented at the event.The Saline County Health Department provided a cooling station
"Even Saline County Human Resources was out and actually got a couple interested applicants that put in for a couple job openings that the county has," Weis said. "So not only was this a great opportunity to learn more about those responding agencies, but even potentially a career path for someone."
Weis said her office plans to continue to do this event with the the support and the feedback that they recieve rom the community.
"Everyone really enjoys it, other than the time of year that we do it, so that'll be something that we review for next year," Weis said.
For more information about National Night Out, please visit natw.org.