A safe day

Christine Carrillo

Wearing a red, plastic fire helmet and two police badges stuck on

his T-shirt, 6-year-old Tyler Carmonian of Fountain Valley asked his

dad to let him scale down the back wall of Newport Center Fire

Station No. 3 in Newport Beach Sunday afternoon.

Although he would have been attempting to accomplish the feat with

the assistance of Newport Beach SWAT and firefighters, his father

said no -- in part, he admitted, because being over 12 he wasn’t

allowed to do it himself.

The father and son were just like hundreds of other residents from

around Orange County. They were impressed with the demonstrations and

displays from the various public safety departments and enjoyed being

a part of it for a day.

“This is the perfect opportunity for all of those ‘rubberneckers’

out there to get to see, up close and personal, what they’re usually

stopping traffic to see,” said Tyler’s father, Mike Carmonian. “I

think it’s real cool to give the public a chance to talk to the fire

and police guys and gals ... and get to meet the people that are out

there trying to save lives.”

In celebration of Fire Prevention Week, the Newport Beach police,

fire and marine departments along with the Orange County Sheriff

Department Harbor Patrol, Red Cross, Orange County Burn Assn. and

Animal Control, united on Sunday as part of the city’s annual Public

Safety Day.

Booths provided children with identification cards and displays

involving various areas of crime and fire prevention, like “Stranger

Danger,” which taught children what to do in possible kidnapping

situations and an “Escape Drill In The Home” simulator set up to

teach children what to do if their home was on fire. Each enabled

children to learn safety lessons through hands-on activities.

“It’s definitely aimed for children and educating them,” said Rob

Beuch, a paramedic with the fire department, adding that it also

helps support what many adults already know. “It reinforces our

commitment to public safety ... and it gives us an opportunity to

demonstrate what we do.”

As a K-9 unit responded to a simulated arrest gone wrong, a SWAT

unit rescued a victim from a staged, yet hostile, situation and

firefighters put out a demonstration fire they started in a nearby

building. Audience members were able to witness a segment of what

each of the departments do.

“It shows a lot of the pieces that public safety is all about ...

and gives the citizens of Newport Beach a chance to ask questions and

get used to seeing some of the people they’re going to for help.”

said Lifeguard Capt. John Blauer.

In addition, public safety officials had an opportunity to meet

with the public they serve and teach them about fire and crime

prevention. If also affords the public safety departments an

opportunity to work together.

“It builds unity within the community and different safety

departments,” said Andi Querry, crime prevention specialist with the

police department and one of the organizers for the event. “Safety is

such an important issue for fire and police ... and for crime and

fire prevention our goal is just to keep the public safe.”

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO is the news assistant. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4298 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com.