News

‘Touch a Truck’ showcases safety, service vehicles

COVINGTON, Ky. - There’s an obvious reason that the City of Covington’s “Touch a Truck” open house is being held on the vast parking lot of the Latonia Shopping Center.
 
Few other places in the City - if any - would be large enough.
 
The event, to be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, will feature public safety and public service vehicles of all shapes, sizes, and functions - LOTS of vehicles - from fire trucks to dump trucks, front loaders to helicopters, and police cruisers to tow trucks.
 
“If you’re a citizen of Covington, these are the agencies who can help you, and these are the vehicles they use,” said Benjamin “David” Kennedy, firefighter/Fire Prevention Educator for Covington. “When the helicopters come thundering in, I think we’ll build a crowd, because people are fascinated with large vehicles.”
 
The event is set up to allow Covington residents and visitors to climb in, on, and around an array of vehicles, to see equipment, and to talk to First Responders and others who provide services in Covington.
 
The event stems from an idea Covington City Manager David Johnston brought with him from a city where he previously worked.
 
“I just mentioned something to Fire Chief Mark Pierce about a ‘public safety fair,’ and he obviously just ran with it,” Johnston said. “Touch a Truck will provide good public awareness of the large equipment that departments use every day to serve citizens.”
 
The agencies who will participate go far beyond those at the City. Among the many agencies scheduled to be there, with their vehicles: 
  • Covington’s police, fire, parks and recreation, and public works departments.
  • UC Air Care.
  • Air Evac.
  • The Northern Kentucky Health Department.
  • The Northern Kentucky Technical Rescue Team.
  • Kenton County Police and Sheriff’s departments.
  • Kentucky State Police.
  • Point Pleasant Fire Department.
  • CVG Airport Fire Department.
  • The American Red Cross.
  • Rumpke Waste & Recycling.
  • Jess & Sons Towing.
  • St. Elizabeth Medical Center. 
Food, drinks and Kona Ice will be available, and a demonstration of vehicle extrication equipment will be held at noon, Kennedy said.
 
The address is 4293 Winston Ave., in front of Burlington Coat Factory.
 
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