Aiden Piecuch sat in the front seat of the Meriden Police Department’s mobile command center Wednesday afternoon, pretending to drive the truck and learning about how the center works. It was an opportunity that Aiden, just 3-years-old, hadn’t had before and probably will never forget.
“It was fun,” he said after, a big smile on his face as he looked to his mom.
Aiden was one of several dozen children who came out to the first Meriden Police Department Touch-A-Truck event, a program that Officer Michael Ford said he hopes will become part of an annual event to reach out to the community.
The event included police vehicles, fire engines, ambulances, public works trucks and more. Children were able to get inside the apparatus, ask questions and learn how everything works.
“Many of these kids see these vehicles in action, but we wanted to do something that gives them a chance to see them in a non-emergency setting and get to know what it is we do and why,” said Ford, who organized the first event.
Ford said he hopes to expand the program in coming years to include more vehicles and get other local businesses involved.
Take a look at the video for more on Wednesday’s program.
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