VIDEO: Friends of First Responders Day kicked off in Overland Park on Saturday afternoon. The event gives children with disabilities and their families the opportunity to connect with fire and police personnel in a friendly environment. “It gives us a chance to meet them in a situation where adrenaline isn’t pumping and they’re not in dire need of our services,” said Lieutenant Pat Saysoff. “And they get to experience being a firefighter or police officer for the day.”
Kids got to ride in the ladder bucket, operate fire hoses and ride in fire trucks too. They were able to see how police officers take fingerprinting evidence, and how the OPPD bomb squad operates. “I learned that they actually use robots now for the bomb squad. I didn’t know that before,” Asher Long said.
For many of the parents who spoke with FOX4, this isn’t their first time at the event. “I mean, both of the kids are in elementary school,” said dad Goutham Kalali, attending with his two sons. “So, they probably know a little bit, but they don’t know the details of what happens inside and what people do here.” He said it’s also a chance for them to explore what could be in store for them when they’re older. “They might now think of this as a career option maybe when they grow up, you know,” he added.
Lauren Gechter said it’s great for her son Grayson to know that first responders are trustworthy. “So, they’re safe people. We can trust them,” she said. “We can go with them in case mom and dad are around and today is really helping him build that trust.”
