Agencies to host Public Safety Day

FORT WAYNE & WARSAW, Ind. (WANE) - The cities of Fort Wayne and Warsaw will each host a Public Safety Day on September 11.

Fort Wayne's inaugural Public Safety Day will take place from 9 a.m. to noon at the Public Safety Academy at Southtown Centre. The free, family-friendly event will feature demonstrations and information from local public safety agencies, tours of the Academy and adjacent Safety Village, and "Don’t Miss a Beat," the free hands-only CPR training for anyone 12 and older.

The event will start with a memorial service to remember those who died or were injured in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The Honor Guard will feature members from the Fort Wayne Fire Department, Fort Wayne Police Department, and Indiana State Police.

“The terrorist attacks on the day almost nine years ago taught all of us the bravery and heroism of our first responders and the need for each of us to be prepared for emergencies of all kinds,” Mayor Tom Henry said. “Public Safety Day is an opportunity for you and your family to find out what our local public safety agencies do and learn more about how you can be safer at home, in the car and in the community.”

The Three Rivers CPR Task Force will offer free hands-only, non-certified CPR training in the gymnasium at 9:30, 10:30, and 11:30 that morning. Certified instructors will present the hour-long class. It will teach anyone 12 or older how to give effective chest compressions to adults who have suffered a heart attack or other cardiac emergency. The training uses manikins or special kits. Everyone participating in the training will receive a free CPR practice kit with a training DVD to take home. No pre-registration is needed.

The American Red Cross will have a blood drive from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Public Safety Academy. To schedule a blood donation appointment, call (260) 439-8200, (800) RED-CROSS or visit www.redcrossblood.org .

“Public Safety Day is an opportunity to showcase our region’s first responders and what they do. Many safety events have a defined scope about a particular topic. This will provide a broad array of information and demonstrations, making it an event that’s useful to people of all ages,” said Bernie Beier, PSA director and Fort Wayne-Allen County Homeland Security Director. “You will come away with important information about how to keep you and your community safer.”

Agencies and organizations scheduled to participate include:

· Fort Wayne Police Department with demonstrations and emergency vehicle displays
· Fort Wayne Fire Department with demonstrations and apparatus displays
· Three Rivers Ambulance Authority with an ambulance to tour
· Kendallville Fire Department with triage trailer
· Indiana State Police with information about drunk and impaired driving
· American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana Indiana
· Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health with lead screenings
· Lutheran Health Network
· Parkview Health
· St. Joe Township Fire Department
· Allen County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES)
· Crisis Emergency Response Team (CERT)
· Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control featuring animal safety tips and ordinance information
· Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority Public Safety Department
· Fort Wayne Communications with emergency dispatch vehicle
· High Performance Government Network with information for residents to learn how to work with local government to make their community a better and safer place
· Traxide Outreach Inc. featuring ATV and dirt-bike safety
· Sweetcakes Comedy with face painting and balloon entertainment
· Trine University’s criminal justice and emergency management programs
· Ivy Tech’s public safety-related programs
· Anthis Career Center’s public safety-related programs

Organizations with safety information interested in participating should contact Shawn Fort at the PSA at 439-8201.

Also on September 11, at Warsaw's Central Park and Pavilion, Kosciusko REMC and the Warsaw/Wayne Fire Territory will host Play It Safe Family Safety Day. This is the third year the electric cooperative and the fire territory have worked together to present this day of fun, family friendly safety education. The event is slated to run from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Joining the event in 2010 will be the 9-11 Committee Memorial, which will take place at 3:15 p.m., immediately following the conclusion of Family Safety Day activities. This year’s memorial will feature a special tribute to Kosciusko Sheriff Department Officer Jeff Shaw who lost his life in the line of duty in 2009. Shaw’s name will be added to the 9-11 Memorial located in Central Park.

“Play It Safe Family Safety Day is a great day of safety education activities involving KREMC, and our area’s law enforcement, fire fighting, and emergency service departments,” said KREMC Manager of Marketing and Communications Doris Lemert. “Having the 9-11 Memorial Committee present their annual tribute at the end of our event was a logical tie-in. We hope our communities