Get To Know Your First Responders

DAYTON - Emergency responders of Columbia and Walla Walla counties work to strengthen ties with residents on Tuesday, Aug. 7, during National Night Out in Dayton City Park and in Walla Walla at Pioneer Park.

The annual event takes place on the first Tuesday of August in 150,000 com- munities across the nation, said Tim Quigg, the National Night Out Coordinator for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

The Columbia County event in Dayton will run from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Dayton City Park and will feature 43 exhibits, up from last year's 23. After 8 p.m., a large screen will be set up to show a family-friendly movie, Quigg said. Blue Mountain Counseling will supply hot dogs and the Dayton Lions and Kiwanis clubs will be serving the food.

Quigg said usually about 1,000 people show up for the event, about half the popula- tion of Dayton.

"Last year 35 million peo- ple were involved across the nation," Quigg said.

The event focuses on en- forcing anti-drug and anticrime mindsets in local com- munities, Quigg said. He said the event is also intended to strengthen police and community partnerships.

An important aspect of the event for the Columbia Coun- ty Sheriff's Office, Quigg said, is encouraging civilians to talk with members of local law enforcement.

"A lot of people just walk up to a cop in plain clothes and they'll talk about problems in their community," Quigg said. "They talk to (law enforce- ment) more when they're out of uniform than when they are in uniform. This gives the community an opportunity to see that cops are people too."

Quigg said the event is a way to build better relation- ships between the community and the sheriff's department.

"It's a captive audience," Quigg said. "Everybody gets to see what kinds of services there are out there and this is a good venue for that.

The Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office will hold its National Night Out event in Pioneer Park and Undersheriff Edward Freyer said there are lots of activities planned.

There will be a parade starting at 5:15 p.m. and the event itself starts at 5:30 p.m. Pioneer Park will be filled with vendors and booths for the community to learn more about emergency services and law enforcement. The event will also feature free hot dogs and root beer floats provided by Banner Bank.

Along with the booths set up to help connect to the pub- lic, Freyer said the sheriff's office will have their "Sheriff or the Day" program honoring a local community member, and meet and greets with members of the department.

"It's an open forum," Frey- er said. "People can come address any issues they feel are important and it's a chance for the public to get to know us a little more."

The Walla Walla sheriff's office will also be encourag- ing the community to come and learn what exactly the department's staff members do during a regular day.

Freyer said the depart- ment members will likely be grouped around the search and rescue booth to answer any questions community members may have.

"Last year we had a tremendous turnout," Freyer said. "We're hoping to match that this yearhellip; It far exceed- ed everybody's expectation."