LARC's Touch-a-Truck event in Flinton

Jun 26, 2014

On June 21 over 250 children and their families gathered at the Flinton Recreation Centre for the second annual Touch a Truck event, which was sponsored by the Lennox and Addington Resources for Children (LARC) and the Flinton Recreation Club. Representatives of local emergency service groups, social service teams and other organizations were invited to attend and bring their vehicles for children to get up close and personal with. There were school buses, Hydro One trucks, an EMS ambulance and local fire trucks, tow trucks, tractors, transport trucks, race cars and more.

Becky Cavanaugh of LARC said that the purpose of the event is not only to provide a lot of fun for children, it is also aimed at familiarizing them with emergency service workers, their vehicles and the other equipment they use, which helps to quell the children's fears if they are in an emergency situation. “It's a fun thing for kids to do; not only do they get to learn more about the people, their vehicles and the services they provide but they get to do so in a friendly and fun environment,” Cavanaugh said.

A group of paramedics invited youngsters to lie on a stretcher and to experience some of the machinery and tests they would undergo in the event of a 911 emergency call. Paramedic Ryan Thielman explained, “We show them the tools that we would normally use in an on-scene call so that if they have to experience a call in the future, they will know that there is nothing to be afraid of and that none of this stuff can hurt them.”

The children had their blood pressure taken and were also hooked up to the electrodes used for taking an electrocardiogram.

LARC provides other services to children and their families in Lennox and Addington, including playgroups, parenting courses and other outreach programs. For more information about the services they provide call 613-354-6318 or visit www.larc4kids.com

The Touch-a-Truck event also raised donations for the food bank.