Community Safety Day a fun day out with important message

The fire service will hold safety displays at Community Safety Day, including with this burn trailer.

A special event to promote community safety and introduce people to the volunteers who take care of them at times of need will take place in Levin next Saturday.

Community Safety Day is being organised by Horowhenua Neighbourhood Support's Deborah Campbell, and will offer the chance for locals to meet people from groups such as the fire service, Community Patrol and Neighbourhood Support to learn about what they do.

The event will be focused on interactive experiences and is designed to bring the community together for a fun day out as well as hopefully enticing people to sign up as volunteers themselves, Campbell said.

Community Safety Day will be a fun event for all the family, organisers say.

A special 'fire house' will be set up by the fire service, where people can enter a tent wearing 3D goggles and experience a simulated fire scenario, learning how to escape and what to look out for.

There will also be a display by a police dog handler who will show people what the dogs do during their training.

Plunket will be on site to advise about correct car seat installation for baby and child car seats, and the nearby fire station will open its doors for people to view the fire vehicles and bring in their electric blankets for safety testing.

A free barbecue, entertainment and bouncy castle will also be on offer to make the event a fun day out.

"It's an interaction day," Campbell said. "We really want to let the community know what's out there, and talk to people from the various organisations. Hopefully some with a view to signing up as volunteers themselves."

Campbell said showing people what the community groups did was a great way to get people talking in their neighbourhoods.

If there had been a spate of burglaries, for example, groups such as Community Patrol played a big part in keeping people informed, she said.

Community Safety Day will be held on the Levin Village Green on Saturday, April 13. It runs from 11am to 2pm.