Nevada Fire Chief Ray Reynolds was managing the grill, while smiling and visiting about the incredible event his department helped put on with Raising Readers in Story County on the evening of June 10.
“This not only is about helping with literacy and having outreach within our community, but it’s also about being able to serve our families a meal, which helps with and brings awareness to another issue our community faces – food insecurity,” Reynolds said.
The Wednesday evening event, tucked between several severe storm systems this week, came together beautifully.
Native Nevadan and Volunteer and Events Coordinator for Raising Readers in Story County (RRSC) Hanna Bell said her organization “was thrilled to welcome 155 people to ‘Blaze into Books’ at the Nevada Fire Station. It was a great evening of connecting families with local firefighters and EMS personnel, sharing a meal, and celebrating reading together.”
During the two-hour event, families with young children showed up at the fire station and took part in a variety of activities that included making puppets, coloring, trying on firefighter gear, listening to stories read by firefighters, enjoy a hotdog and chips meal in the fire station’s meeting room, climb into fire trucks, fight a fire using a simulator, and more. And, maybe the best part in terms of literacy, each child got to pick out a new book to take home with them. RRSC reported that 84 new books were distributed at the event.
Hanna said Blaze into Books was a collaborative effort. “Raising Readers and the Fire Department purchased the supplies needed for the event, Nevada Food at First generously provided the hot dogs and additional buns for the meal, and the Iowa DNR Forestry Division contributed the Smokey costume and swag bag items. We’re grateful for the support of all of our partners and for everyone who helped make the event possible.”
It took months of planning. “The Fire Department and Raising Readers began planning for this event back in February,” Hanna said. “It took the combined efforts of the Fire Department and RRSC to ensure the event flowed smoothly and to create a welcoming experience for families. It is always impressive how much behind-the-scenes work is required to make an event like this possible.”
The Nevada Fire Department was a natural fit for the event, Hanna said, because “firefighters,” of which her father is one, “and EMS personnel are some of the most visible and trusted people in our community. We know that when kids have positive interactions with first responders, it helps build relationships that can last a lifetime.”
In addition to firefighters who volunteered for the event, RRSC brought in an additional 25 volunteers who helped.
Elizabeth Yusko of RRSC said for her, the take away of the evening was seeing the faces of children getting to experience the grandiose of fire trucks and equipment. “Children are captivated by this wonder, but that goes away in a time of emergency. This event allowed an opportunity to engage in that magic that will hopefully bring a level of comfort and understanding if a real emergency were to arise in a child’s daily life.”
Hanna also reflected on the evening. “One of my favorite moments happened when a very young child came out after eating a hot dog and spotted Smokey the Bear across the room. The child stopped right in the doorway and said, ‘Whoooaaa! It’s Smokey!’ with complete amazement. It was such a sweet moment, and I remember thinking that this was exactly what the event was about. Years from now, that child may not remember every detail of the evening, but I suspect they will remember the excitement of seeing Smokey, taking home a new book, and having a fun night with their family. Those are the memories that make community events so meaningful.”
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada