Crowds of kids climbed into the cockpits of some heavy machinery, emergency vehicles and earth movers as the Humboldt Early Years Family Resource Centre (HEYFRC) presented its Wheels Day on Thursday at the Humboldt Uniplex. Fire fighting vehicles, the latest in ag tractors, heavy construction equipment and emergency vehicles like ambulances and police cruisers were all in the mix.
It was all in the name of fun and learning about safety for the young people and the participants who donated their time and machines to the event.
Scott Brockman of Brockman Enterprises was on hand with a cement mixer, a brand-new track steer loader, and a perennial favourite – the dump truck. The track steer came loaded with fine sand and 50 dollars' worth of loonies, plus enough plastic shovels for youngsters to pile into a treasure hunt.
On the ag equipment side, Hergott Farm Equipment brought in one of its latest case models – the 620 horsepower quad track with PTO and high capacity hydraulics geared for heavy farming needs.
Shane Emms with Hergott Farm Equipment kept an eye on both kids and parents who marvelled at the machine, steering them toward sound safety advice.
“These are definitely not toys; you need to be very careful around this equipment,” said Emms. “At 62,000 pounds and several pinch points, everyone needs to be made well aware of where to stay back under any operation, and with PTO work as well.”
The Humboldt Fire Department was out in full force with its ladder truck, response vehicle and a tanker that has just returned from being deployed in the north to fight forest fires, said Chief Mike Kwasnica.
Humboldt Ambulance and the Humboldt RCMP were also on hand with their vehicles and a chance for kids to make some noise with the sirens and light it up with the emergency flashers.
“What is more important than safety with our kids?” asked Katie Nichol, organizer with HEYFRC. “They need to be able to approach vehicles safely, learn how the operators work them, and techniques they have to keep other people safe.”
HEYFRC teamed up with Safe Communities Humboldt for a car seat clinic on site that day. Parents were able to pull in with their vehicles and have members of the city’s Protective Services help to check that seats were safe for use according to current standards and regulations, and that they were properly installed.
Considerations include age of the car seat and expiry dates, said Amanda Hauber, Director of Safe Communities Humboldt. Different models have different installation techniques so its always good to check on properly installation. It’s also important to ensure that the make and size of the seat matches the child passenger.
The Humboldt Uniplex parking lot sees heavy traffic throughout the year, but on Wheels Day, the vehicles themselves were the heavy factors.