Community safety fair scheduled Saturday

City firefighters will host a fire hose competition for children during Saturday's safety fair.

A free community safety fair event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on the west side parking lot at Wal-Mart.

The theme is "Volunteerism Always Pays."

The city police department, fire department, as well as other public safety organizations and volunteer Wal-Mart employees will be manning the booths and a large number of displays at the event.

During the day, the city fire department will host a fire hose competition where local youngsters can be a hero and extinguish a fire in a "burning" structure. People will also compete in a water ball competition where teams of four people will use water from fire hoses to push a large ball to the end of a rope.

The fire department will cook hot dogs for people to enjoy while city police take fingerprints of local youngsters as part of their child identification effort. The police department K-9 team will conduct demonstrations throughout the day.

Other events planned during the day include an impaired driving course where teens and adults can see first-hand the effects of distracted and impaired driving.

This year, the event will feature a child safety seat check in which officers will inspect their seats for any defects or recalls and make sure parents know how to install a safety seat. "Cars weren't designed for safety seats," said Sgt. Rick Viola of the Mountain Home Police Department, "so learning how to do it properly is tougher than you think and important for the safety of your children."

The Idaho National Guard will set up a rock climbing wall, various games and activities will be offered throughout the day and the local ham radio club will be on hand.

A variety of emergency response vehicles will also be on display, including the city police department's Drug Abuse Resistance Education car. LifeFlight also will be on hand and the Operation Lifesaver Train will shuttle people from the parking lot to the event.

There will be live music throughout the day.

The fair also will include demonstrations by members of the Open Soar skateboarder group. Featured visitors available for photos during the day will include Eddie the Eagle, McGruff the fire house dog and Smoky Bear.