Touch A Truck Introduces Kids To The Hard Working Vehicles Of Newtown

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — What do you get when you mix kids with big trucks, police cars, fire engines, ambulances and a few buses? Plenty of excitement, smiling faces and lots and lots of honking horns and wailing sirens.

Hundreds of youngsters, with their parents, siblings and caregivers in tow, spent a thrilling Wednesday morning and early afternoon climbing inside and on top of between 20 vehicles parked at Veterans Park.

The hugely popular “Touch a Truck” program, presented by the Newtown Township Parks and Recreation Department, gave youngsters between the ages of 3 and 12 an opportunity to get up close and personal with the big, hardworking trucks and emergency response vehicles seen around the township.

All aboard! (Photos by Jeff Werner)

Program coordinator Matt Zipin was just glad to see the event taking place after two rain outs and an initial threat of rain on Wednesday, which luckily never materialized.

“I’m very happy. We've had a lot of people here and everyone seems to be having fun,” said Zipin, gazing around at all the excitement. “We've added a lot of new trucks this year and some new vendors. It’s great to see the community come together again. The kids are having a ball. Lots of little kids going in and out of the vehicles hitting the horns. It’s just a fantastic event,” he said.

Among the highlights was PECO's bucket truck, which extended 165 feet into the air high above the crowds and the kids below.

An excavator provided by the Newtown Artesian Water Company was another big hit as kids waited in line to sit in the driver's seat and to sound the horn. Also getting a lot of attention was the township's asphalt roller.

Youngsters also checked out the view from the back seat of a township police car and from a loftier position inside the cab of a Newtown Township dump tuck as their parents captured the moments with their smart phones.

They even got to sit in the claw of an excavator owned by the township.

(Photos by Jeff Werner)

The kids also got a look inside several ambulance units and a bariatric unit from the Newtown Ambulance Squad where they inspected all the different life-saving gadgets – everything from heart monitors and defibrillators to Band-Aids, stretchers and oxygen supply units.

They were also drawn to the fire trucks, getting to inspect Ladder 45 and Rescue 55 from Newtown Fire Rescue. It was easy to find the firefighters who were stationed next to the trucks in their blue uniforms.

Also drawing a lot of attention was, believe it or not, a Council Rock School bus. Lots of kids enjoyed climbing onto the bus - some for the first time in their lives. A SEPTA bus parked next to the school bus also caught the attention of the kids who got to sit in the driver's seat.

Another popular stop for the kids was a 26 foot Penske truck where they got to walk up a ramp and check out the inside of the truck. Other trucks included vehicles from Leck Waste Services and Marrazzo's Manor Lane Florist.

Also there providing yummy treats and food were Kona Pizza and Rita's Italian Water Ice.

For information about other parks and recreation activities, visit www.newtownfun.com.

The view from the back seat of a Newtown Township Police Car. (Photo by Jeff Werner)