Families meet first responders at Safety First Saturday | Top Stories

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – Southern Arizona families had the chance to meet police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other public safety professionals at Tucson’s fourth annual Safety First Saturday event at the Tucson Mall this weekend.

The event is put on by the Tucson Fire, Department, the Tucson Police Department and TMC For Children.

The free family-friendly event connects the community with local first responders and highlights the dedication of Southern Arizona first responders.

The event was full of hands-on education and interactive experiences for kids. There were fire engines ladder trucks, K-9 units, drones and more.

“The calls don’t always go the way that we want to, and you know a lot of these people here can kind of relate to that, so I think that really just builds that community,” Olivia Hwang with UA Emergency Services said. “And it also gets other people interested and they can support us, and we can support them back.”

“We have over 30 public safety agencies out here looking to inspire future generations to want to maybe one day pursue a career in public safety,” Public Safety Education Specialist Janela Livingston said.

In addition to the more than 30 public safety agencies, Safety First Saturday brought together more than 50 community partners from across Southern Arizona.