Logan County Sheriff/EMA offers show and tell to the community

[October 24, 2019]   LINCOLN - On Saturday morning, after a time spent parading around town trick or treating with Mayor Seth Goodman, many folks made their way on over to the Logan County Safety Complex for more excitement.

The Logan County Sheriff/Logan County Emergency Management Agency was hosting a ‘show and tell’ on the south lawn and parking lot of the complex. The day featured all the specialized equipment the EMA uses in various emergency situations. Staff from the department was on hand to share information about the items on display.

Just as many folks were arriving at the complex the LifeFlight helicopter arrived setting down in the green space between Lincoln City Hall and the safety complex. A large crowd converged on the helicopter first before heading on over to the complex.

At the helicopter, visitors were permitted to sit behind the controls while the pilot shared information about the bird and what it is used for.

The city of Lincoln was also on hand with their fire trucks and other equipment.

There were patrol vehicles from the county sheriff’s department and several kids took advantage of the opportunity to sit in the front seats and use the loud speaker system within the vehicles. Around the block the voices could be heard as kids warned people to get off their cell phones or stop littering on the highway.

Firefighters from Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District and emergency medical technicians from the Logan County Paramedics Association were also there with their equipment.

Kids enjoyed getting into the back of the ambulance and checking out all the special equipment inside.

Devin Vannoy was on hand with the EMA Communications Mobile Unit and enjoyed sharing with people what the communication center does and when it is used by the Sheriff/EMA Departments.

Another interesting aspect of the tour was the mutual aid equipment that was on hand. Often referred to as “MABAS” by the local departments, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System is a program that allows smaller communities access to very sophisticated equipment through a sharing program.

On hand Saturday was the MABAS Illinois Terrorism Task Force Mission Support truck. The truck was open to tours and several enjoyed going through the vehicle entering at the back and exiting at the front.

One of the cool things that got a good amount of attention was the four-wheeler on tracks. The special all-terrain vehicle is equipped with tracks like one would see on a caterpillar or other large earthmoving equipment. It permits emergency responders to get into mucky places where a normal vehicle would not be able to travel.
 

There were also several other all-terrain vehicles and the local search and rescue watercraft on display.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be an adventure without food. Free hot dogs and chips were being served and a large number of folks enjoyed grabbing a bite to eat and finding a spot to just sit and enjoy.

Later in the day there were live demonstrations of the local K-9 unit, as well as a drone demonstration.

In all, it was a good day and Sheriff Mark Landers was excited about the turnout and the opportunity to share with the community all the tools they have for dealing with large emergency events.

[Nila Smith]