Saturday, May 14, was a great day for the Safety Fair. After two years of being put on hold, the Safety Fair, hosted by the North Royalton Fire Department, was back. Family groups of twos, and threes, fours and more swarmed the Fire Station to see the firefighting equipment, take pictures and take a look at the Ohio Fire Marshall burn site and see what a sprinkler system can do to prevent extensive damage. Fire Prevention Bureau of the State Fire Marshall, Chief Ken Klouda, was on hand to answer questions about the display. Boating and Marine Law Enforcement Officer, C. Kozan from ODNR, was also on hand to explain why boating laws are safety laws. High above the crowd was Cleveland Metroparks Mounted Officer Jim Newman. Officer Onyx, his very calm and agreeable partner, has his own badge displayed right on his harness. Many youngsters gathered around Onyx to pet his smooth coat. Officer Onyx and other equine officers live at the Metroparks stable on Boston and Ridge Roads.
NRPD K-9 Officer Bear was on hand to greet everyone with his partner Patrolman Dan McClintic. There were representatives from Crisis Response Canines, Strongsville. These specially trained, all volunteer dogs and handlers offer emotional and physical security, comfort, and stability to people in complex disaster and trauma situations.
A good example of why equipment needs to be ready for use was the large Southwest Emergency Response Team or SERT. SERT covers 19 of Cuyahoga County’s southwestern suburbs. They assist local first responders with flooding, fires, major accidents, and other needs. There is a HAZMAT team dispatched when chemicals and potentially dangerous materials are involved. The ODOT District 12 truck was very popular with the youngsters. ODOT keeps our roads clear. Some lucky attendees got a Dot from ODOT made from recycled tires. There were various law enforcement cars to look at. Arlen Mandzukic and his dad Kurt inspected the Highway Patrol Car. Arlen noticed, “The front seat looks weird, and the back doesn’t have seat belts at all.” Dad pointed out the front seat was split, and the seatbelts were lap type. The Sheriff’s Department also had a vehicle on display and offered a bit of history to go with it. The first Sheriff in Ohio was Col. Ebeneezer Sproat who helped found the settlement of Marietta, when it was still the Northwest Territory.
A popular spot for kids was the S.W.A.T. vehicle. Deputy Mullen, Badge 266, was on hand to explain some of the S.W.A.T. equipment from helmets to band aids.
Inside the fire station, Zambelli Fireworks had a display. Zambelli produces the North Royalton Community Festival fireworks display in August. They also produce the Cleveland 4th of July Fireworks, and the largest display in America, Thunder Over Louisville, to kick off the Kentucky Derby. With fire, you really should have fire extinguishers. John Leitch from Silco Fire and Security stresses, “If your home smoke alarms are ten years old or older, they should be replaced. Technology has updated; you need to check out your alarms.” Where there is smoke there is usually fire, and our firefighters use water to fight fires. Lorenzo Smith, Ray Singletary, and Ramses Clements represented the Cleveland Division of Water. They even reported a water leak on Bennett Road right by the fire station.
The people from University Hospitals Parma Medical Center and Rainbow Babies Safe Kids Coalition were on hand to answer questions. They were giving away fold up frisbees as stress relievers.
We call the Fire Department using the 911 emergency dispatch. Jodi Fyffe explained, “There is a lot of technology in the 911 system. All calls go to a central receiver and then are routed to the correct community in a matter of seconds. Our training keeps others safe.”
True to their legend, Firefighters always have the best food. They were serving up beverages, popcorn, the best hotdogs in town, and pizza. Dave and Bryan McManus enjoyed the hot dogs, but the real expert was 4-year-old Jordan. When asked which end of the hot dog tastes best he said, “The back end because it’s the last.” Spoken like a foodie. NRPD Patrolman Jason Kimmel knows how to stake out a good spot, right at the end of the food line. The Evans family was watching Luci get on the police motorcycle. Patrolman Kimmel advised her to, “please put gas in the tank when you are finished riding.”
At 12:25 p.m., a lull came over the fire station as the crowd moved up the hill to the tree lawn by the City Green parking lot. Soon the familiar chopping sound of a helicopter could be heard. After making large circles around the landing area, the University Hospitals MedEvac Helicopter came into view as it hovered like a hummingbird in midair before setting down. The wind from the big blades of the chopper blew up dust and a few hats. Once the all-clear was given, the crowd moved forward to take a good look. The helicopter is piloted by Chris Conn who has been flying for UH for many years. The rest of the crew includes a nurse and a medic. Chris really likes his job but said, “I get a little nervous if there are a lot of trees, I like a good clear area.”
After the MedEvac helicopter landed, many folks came back to enjoy vehicles and to get another hot dog. The Safety Fair was a great place to bring the family. That goes for Firefighter Jeff Govern, whose whole family was there. Lilly, the oldest, proudly announced, “Today is my dad’s birthday.” The Safety Fair owes its success to the planning and contributions from the NRFD, NRPD, the firefighters, police officers, their spouses, moms, dads and supporters, the mayor and council, and all the organizations that came out to make the 2022 Safety Fair an educational and enjoyable experience for all.

By LINDA KWARCIANY
Contributing Writer