TAMPA, Fla. - Local emergency crews welcomed children and families to Raymond James Stadium on Sunday for the fourth annual First Responders Family Fun Day, bridging the gap between neighborhood youth and community personnel.
Tampa first responders family day
What we know:
Emergency personnel from multiple agencies set up interactive displays across the stadium grounds to give children direct access to service equipment. Visitors explored emergency vehicles, climbed inside a fire truck and participated in activities ranging from a bounce house to a pumpkin patch.
The event featured a specialized firefighter obstacle course and a helicopter display.
"We are very excited to be here and have a chance to talk to all the kids and demonstrate kind of what we do, and explain to them all the capabilities of our helicopter and the different missions that we fly," Andres Wells, a Tampa Police Department pilot, said.
Connecting outside emergency situations
What they're saying:
Organizers structured the gathering to provide casual, positive interactions before high-stress 911 calls happen.
"They get so excited when they see us on the street. We’re running 911 calls and a lot of times we don’t have time to stop and engage with them, so this gives us an opportunity to really engage with them and just show them all of our toys," Juanita Benjamin, secretary for Hillsborough County Firefighters Local 2294, said.
"To see them interact and ask questions and bring awareness towards how amazing the Tampa Bay community is in our first responders. It’s just really fun and as amazing," Tina Pepin of the Pepin Family Foundation said.
Brandon Yates, vice chair of Hillsborough County Firefighter Charities, said that emergency personnel want people to recognize the humans beneath the uniforms.
"We want everybody to come out and interact with the first responders within the community, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, and just have a fantastic fun day," Yates said.
Yates also noted that creating positive first impressions eliminates fear during future emergencies.
"Most of the time when we meet people for the first time we wanted them to have an environment where they could meet us, interact, enjoy, and see that OK well, we’re in uniform with this. We’re still more people and we’re super nice, and there’s nothing to be afraid of."
Four years of community outreach
The backstory:
Hillsborough County Firefighters Local 2294 and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office established the free annual event four years ago to foster local partnerships. The Tampa Police Department joined the roster of participants this year to offer expanded access to area families.
Future event scheduling updates
What we don't know:
Organizers have not yet announced the official dates or location details for next year's gathering. Officials also have not released final overall attendance counts for Sunday's stadium event.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from representatives of the Pepin Family Foundation, Hillsborough County Firefighter Charities, the Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Firefighters Local 2294, who described the event's goals and community interactions, as well as an on-scene news broadcast report.