SALEM — The Fire and Police departments will host a public safety day on Aug. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to promote positive community relationships with its public safety officers and first responders.
The day will begin with opening ceremonies which will include members of the Police and Fire
departments leading attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by the National Anthem being sung by Salem High School Senior Fiona Bautista.
Police Chief Lucas Miller, Fire Chief Alan Dionne and Mayor Kimberley Driscoll will also make opening remarks.
At 5:30 p.m., there will be a basketball game between the members of the Salem Boys and Girls Club versus the Salem Police and Fire departments.
Following the game, at 6 p.m., there will be a fire-prevention demonstration that will consist of the Fire Department’s burn trailer showing how fast a room can be consumed by flames and how to prevent it.
The last demonstration of the day will be at 6:30 p.m. when K-9s and their handlers show how the police dogs are trained to search and provide comfort in times of need.
Driscoll said this event will be a “great way for residents to engage with first responders or just to come down and thank them for being on the frontlines the past year during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Throughout the event, the Curative Vax Van will be onsite to administer free COVID-19
vaccinations.
If residents and others want to sign up in advance, they can do so at https://curative.com/sites/31004, but registering in advance is not necessary and walk-ups are welcome.
Curative will offer both the Pfizer and Johnon & Johnson vaccines.
For second doses, there will be a clinic at Salem State University on Aug. 27 from 4 p.m. to
7 p.m., correlating with the correct time frame for the first doses given at this event.
The Salem Health Department will also be onsite to perform free blood pressure checks and to answer any public health questions.
Miller said that, being a new chief, he looks forward to meeting the Salem residents at this community event.
“I encourage all of Salem’s residents, young and old, to come to the Common on Tuesday evening,” Miller said.
Dionne added that “this is such a fun night and a great opportunity to talk about fire
safety and fire prevention.”
This year, the Tour-A-Truck event will be combined with the public safety day, so there will also be numerous Department of Public Works and public safety vehicles for attendees to explore.
There will be over a dozen vehicles to climb on and to learn about.
Salem police officers and firefighters will be on hand to pass out free giveaways, and there will also be free goodie bags with snacks, drinks and ice cream provided thanks to donations from local business community.
Allysha Dunnigan can be reached at [email protected].
