Cpl. Shea Strayer of the Logan Township Police Department helps Jace Smith, 9, of Altoona don a protective vest during Altoona’s National Night Out activities at Heritage Plaza on Tuesday evening. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

First responders took center stage at Heritage Plaza Tuesday, as the Altoona Police Department welcomed the Altoona community to its eighth annual National Night Out.

Adults and children came out to meet members of local emergency agencies in a relaxed, outdoor setting, all while enjoying live music and food.

According to the National Night Out website, the annual event began in Philadelphia in August 1984 as an effort to bring law enforcement and their communities together.

After 42 years, 17,000 communities across America now conduct their own National Night Out event to familiarize citizens with first responders.

Altoona Sgt. Patrick Tomassetti said the event gives residents a chance to interact with first responders outside of a potential emergency situation.

“People get to know us rather than just seeing us in a uniform,” Tomassetti said. “We are human, just like everyone else.”

Spreading awareness

APD has been organizing its own version of National Night Out since 2017.

As the department’s point of information officer, Tomassetti reaches out to local first responders, such as emergency services and county agencies, each year, asking them to join the event.

This year, 25 Altoona officers and several first responder groups answered the call.

AMED EMT Taylor Shildt was stationed by the ambulance truck Tuesday night to teach community members about life-saving procedures such as CPR.

She said AMED wanted to introduce the community to their equipment and their uniforms as well.

“A lot of people mistake us for cops when we get on scene because our uniforms are so similar,” Shildt said. “So to allow the public to get up and personal and see what everything is and how we operate.”

On the other side of the plaza, the Newburg Volunteer Fire Department manned the fryers, serving funnel cakes and fried Oreos to the public.

Newburg Chief Michael Zeigler said the fire department wanted to “show everybody what we do.”

“We’re always looking for new members,” Zeigler said, adding that younger kids at the event may become firemen one day.

It was Altoona Officer Luke Yeager’s second time participating in Altoona’s Night Out, saying that he likes talking to people at this event.

He believes it’s “beneficial” for children to see what first responders do.

“They can see us interacting, being friendly faces, instead of being the bad guys,” Yeager said.

Building bonds

Electrician Marty Kedge, 63, said the event is a “great thing for the community,” noting that people get to see what first responders do.

Kedge heard about National Night Out in Buffalo, New York, which is where he currently lives. Since he loves trains, he came to Cambria Country for a couple days to see them and participate in local activities.

“They’re first responders, they see the worst of the worst,” Kedge said.

Many community members also took their children to the event Tuesday night to teach them about the jobs of first responders.

Altoona native Ashlie Burkey, 31, brought her two girls, Olivia, 12, and Ellie, 10, to National Night Out to “see the resources that the community has.”

She said that Night Out creates a better bond between first responders and local children as well.

“A lot of kids are afraid of cops,” Burkey said. “This (event) gives them a different interaction with AMED and fire departments.”

Couple Taylor Scoran, 28, and Justin Morris, 32, came with Morris’ child, Kalani, 6, to interact with their local community.

Morris said Tuesday night’s event creates “more transparency,” thus building a better relationship between the community and law enforcement.

It wasn’t Scoran’s and Morris’ first time coming to Altoona’s National Night Out event, and they said they plan to come again next year as well.

WIth the positive response from the local community, Tomassetti said he sees National Night Out continuing “every year.”

“I just expect it to keep getting bigger and expanding,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.