Annual Putnam Children’s Expo & Public Safety Day Draws Record Crowds
Demonstrations, Food, Games, and Entertainment Make Learning about Safety Fun
CARMEL, NY (May 24, 2016) – On Saturday, May 14th, the 11th annual Children’s Expo and Public Safety Day drew record crowds to the County’s TOPS (Training and Operations) building on the Donald B. Smith Campus. Presented by the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) and the Bureau of Emergency Services of Putnam County, the event featured live demonstrations and participation from Town Fire Departments, State Police, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, County Bureau of Emergency Services, Putnam Hospital Center and the CAC.
“The turnout at this year’s event was impressive,” said Robert Lipton, Deputy Commissioner at Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services. “We saw our largest crowds ever with close to 1,000 residents participating in a wide variety of attractions, games and demonstrations over a four hour period. At this rate, we may be outgrowing our event location.”
Sponsored by Eric Gross, in memory of his wife, Barbara, and Putnam Hospital Center, the day featured 45 vendors and fun interactive learning that effectively engaged youngsters in safety best practices while offering parents access to education and resources, including:
- Operation SAFE CHILD Photo/fingerprint ID card
- Car Seat Checks and Installations
- Social Media Safety
- Physical, Mental Health and Family Services
- Meet Firefighters and Police
- Safety House Fire Trailer
“Ensuring the health and safety of our community and children, in particular, is what this day is about,” said MaryEllen Odell, Putnam County Executive. “It’s wonderful to see so many people involved and interested in the work that the CAC and our emergency services team provides to residents on a daily basis. Through a combination of their ongoing efforts and community education, we will continue to uphold our county’s safety track record.”
Event attendees also enjoyed Home Depot’s free Kids Workshops, which offered fun and useful building projects. The day was rounded out with a magic performance, storytelling, coaching on animal handling, as well as canine exhibitions by the State Police and sheriff’s office and demonstrations from a medevac helicopter crew.
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The Child Advocacy Center of Putnam County opened in 1999 to handle child abuse allegations in a coordinated way in order to minimize additional trauma to the young victims. A multidisciplinary team of child protective service workers, prosecutors, law enforcement investigators, medical care providers, victim advocates and therapists work together to provide all necessary services in one place. The CAC also provides education for the community to reduce the incidence of serious childhood injuries and death.
The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services helps protect residents by operating the 911 Communications center. The Bureau is also host to Fire, EMS and Emergency Management training in the County. BES has a state of the art Emergency Operations Center where officials manage natural and man-made emergencies. BES also fields special teams to investigate cause and origins of fires, a Team to respond to Hazardous Materials Incidents, Fire Police to provide traffic control, security, and preserving evidence. There is also a Communications Team that uses specialized equipment to assure that County agencies and agencies providing mutual aid can speak on the same radio frequencies. The Bureau works closely with Senior Services, The Department of Health and the CAC to be a force multiplier in keeping Putnam safe.
