From left: Officers P. Edwards and M. Grace and Military Police Specialist Seth Brown stand near the line up of military and police cars eager to answer questions from the local community. Photo by Basma Humadi/The Connection
Barbeque, face painting and moon bounces sounds like an ideal day out for the family.
Held in the backyard of the Lorton Library on a sunny summer’s day, the second annual Public Safety Day gave Lorton community members a grounded network to familiarize with local law enforcement members; state patrols, the sheriff’s office, local police forces, firefighters and Public Safety Communications — all in attendance.
At the face painting booth, decorating children’s faces with a variety of butterflies, stars and footballs sat Sommer Corasty, an employee for the Fairfax County Sheriff. Having worked at the office for 18 years, Corasty regularly attends anywhere from two to four Public Safety Days which are held throughout Fairfax County.
“Really what I want the community to notice or be clear about is that law enforcement, public safety, sheriff and police — all of those entities that serve the community, are here for them. And we [local law enforcement] can have fun too and share the love, and come out and participate and just have a nice day,” she said.
The event was an interactive way for children and parents to establish a positive impression with local law enforcement and meet the members who serve their community. A helicopter parked on the library back yard for a short time and local community members got a small tour: a line-up of police cars were parked in the library back yard where children could sit inside and ring the siren; a firetruck was brought out and local firefighters offered a tour of the truck; and the K-9 unit brought out their two dogs and answered many hard-hitting questions from children such as “Can I pet your dog?”
Lt. Mike Engelhardt, a local firefighter, saw the event as a reminder for community members to see what forms of public safety the community offers and as a means to gain an appreciation for the services their tax dollars pay for. After leaving the military when he was 32 and trying out different careers, he eventually came to join the Fire Department.
“I tried the business world and knew very quickly that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I kinda liked being in the action and just the service to the community. This is the job, it seems like, you can help the people out when they’re having their problems and you’re going to find most firemen feel that way,” he said.
Though the event drew the attention of many parents and their younger children, Linda Alston happened to discover the event by chance as she and her 16-year-old daughter were headed to the library. “She’s [my daughter] really enjoying it,” Alston said. “She got her face painted, she’s been talking to the officer about the dog [he brought] — she really loves dogs.”
Pleased with her luck that day, Alston and her daughter gained an enriching experience. “I would like to say it turned out to be a really wonderful event and it seems like a success. Lots of people showed up and I would hope that they do this again,” she said.
As for the most requested face paintings from children, Corasty noted there were a lot of stars and footballs.
“We’ve had a lot of stars, a lot of hearts, and we just got our first request for a rainbow. I haven’t seen that all day. The boys, they love the football and the MVP,” she said.