Families learn about dangers of summer during DPS fair
Jun 7, 2018, 10:32 PM | Updated: Jun 8, 2018, 1:30 am
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah – Whether on the road, in your home or behind the wheel, summertime can pose some real dangers. UHP trooper Jacob Cox said since there are more people traveling for vacation, safety behind the wheel should be top of mind.
“Sometimes safety rules get a little lax during summer and we forget that being vigilant always is key to making sure that our families are safe,” he said.
Thursday evening, his agency, along with dozens of others from across the valley, hosted the annual Family Safety Fair at the Department of Public Safety headquarters in Taylorsville. The event offered activities and safety demonstrations for all ages. A simulated car crash gave kids the opportunity to experience a wreck firsthand.
Sgt. Cox hoped these lessons would stick with participants far beyond the season.
“We are hoping that as they had fun, they learned at the same time,” he said. “We hope they will remember and it’s a good teaching tool for the parents also.”
At a fire demonstration, participants learned about the importance of sprinklers in your home. Firefighters set a makeshift room in a shipping container ablaze to illustrate how quickly flames can spread if your home isn’t equipped with the right tools.
Carlos Rodriguez brought his young daughter to the fair hoping she would learn about keeping their home safe.
“We learned sprinklers would save your house and a lot of lives obviously, you know. It would be a safer route for me to go,” Rodriguez said.
Families like the Kartchners said they would now take what they learned about swimming safety to Lake Powell this summer.
“I learned to always make sure that an adult knows where you are and that you should watch your younger siblings,” Maddy Kartchner said.
About 2,000 attendees filled the field Thursday. The annual event was free to the public.