Cleveland’s fire and police departments are trying to cool down residents this summer – with ice-cream. WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia reports on the city’s initiative to connect with residents.
Toddlers marveled at a miniature remote-controlled Cleveland EMS truck at Station 41 on the east side over the weekend. They were there for the ice-cream social, where they could tour the station house, meet police officers and fire fighters, and enjoy ice cream and snacks.
Glynn Haney and her family checked out the smoke trailer, which simulates escaping from a burning house. She says it’s a good way for kids not to fear law enforcement.
“Sometimes they think of them as they’re scary or bad but now they get to be one-on-one with them.”
She also signed up at the ice cream social to get free smoke alarms.
“Actually the house we just moved to doesn’t have any. So I saw the Red Cross guy and he’s going to help us get some.”
Chief Angelo Calvillo says the smoke trailer helps people know how to get out of burning homes -- and what to do once you’re outside.
“Find a central, safe location as far as the fire hydrant across the street or a telephone pole. So when the fire department arrives, they can ask that brother or sister or mother or grandmother, ‘Is everybody out of the house?’ And if they’re not out of the house, we can go into rescue mode and save them.”
Cleveland Fire will host two more ice cream socials over the next few weeks:
- July 22: Fire Station #13 at 6835 Broadway Avenue
- August 5: Fire Station #39 at 15637 Lorain Avenue
Cleveland Police have been out with an ice cream truck this summer, which can be seen on Twitter at #LetsChillCLE.
