MOUNT VERNON — Summers are busy with a plethora of fairs and festivals for families to attend. That holds true for the city’s safety forces as well.
The police and fire departments participated in the August First Friday event last week and National Night Out on Tuesday.
Now, both departments are gearing up for the Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday.
Police Chief Robert Morgan reminded residents that “downtown is a bit of a mess” during the festival and encouraged them to give themselves extra time to get from Point A to Point B.
The city will set traffic lights to flash and reroute state route traffic.
“There are barricades up, and at certain times of the day, traffic gets very thick and heavy and it takes extra time to get where you’re going. Just be patient,” Morgan said.
“We saw a lot of families, a lot of adults, a lot of kiddos,” Assistant Fire Chief Joshua Lester said of Friday’s event.
“We had a new ambulance cutout for kids to take pictures and images on, and a lot of families were using their electronic devices to take pictures with their kids.”
For the police department, First Friday offered PAK United a chance to promote its Safety Town program by displaying replicas of local buildings and streets.
“Safety Town teaches kids traffic and pedestrian safety at a young age, especially for bicycles,” Morgan explained.
“That’s been a collaboration between the police department for some funding and a lot of local business sponsors. Heather [Barbour]’s done a great job putting that together.”
The actual Safety Town event was held on Sunday, with over 60 youths attending.
Calls for service
Chief Lester reported 509 calls in July, for a year-to-date total of 3,733.
Chief Morgan reported 1,587 calls for service in July. Calls include:
•27 calls for assaults
•65 total car crashes
•17 domestic violence
•36 harassment
•21 theft
“Officers conducted 533 traffic stops, and we served 55 warrants. So, a busy month, probably a little bit up from the last month,” Morgan said.
The department is approaching 120 OVIs for the year.
MVFD
The fire department has new MSA gas detectors (Mine Safety Appliances Company) and bump and calibration stations that feature new technology.
The multi-gas detection meters detect carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other gases.
“Basically all the things you can’t see, taste, and smell for odor investigation,” Lester explained.
The bump station ensures a gas meter’s ability to detect a gas, while the calibration station ensures the equipment’s accuracy.
Lester said fire personnel will meet with the Kenyon College CAs (college assistants) on Aug. 20 to review fire extinguisher training, situational awareness, cooking safety, and other topics with the college students.
Full-time firefighter Walker Davis and part-time firefighter Ava O’Loughlin passed their paramedic certification. They are completing additional in-house training related to Mount Vernon’s medical protocols and other procedures.
Upcoming training includes a fire behavior lab on Monday that teaches different levels of situational awareness for a fire. For example, a flashover fire, where the blaze takes over the whole compartment, or what phase the fire has reached.
Toward the end of August, firefighters will undertake aerial training with the department’s ladder truck.
Lester noted the city council approved hiring a new community risk reduction inspector and educator.
“So our Community Risk and Reduction Bureau with the fire marshal will bring a new member into that bureau,” Lester said.
“That will start with internal applications to fill that spot, and that person will help with life safety inspections throughout the city.”
The inspector will also help with education efforts in the city and the department.
MVPD
Morgan also reminded drivers that school will start Aug. 19 and many more students will be walking in the early morning and afternoons.
“Just be aware,” he said. “We’re going to have our traffic guys out there hitting school zones hard.”
Morgan noted that for the last few months, school zones operated at the regular speed limit. However, when school starts, slower school zones will go into effect.
Upcoming officer training includes search-and-seizure and domestic violence training. The Knox County Prosecutor’s Office provides the domestic violence training.
According to Morgan, the new police department building is moving forward.
Administration
Mayor Matt Starr said construction will start on the Mansfield Avenue shared-use path on Monday, Aug. 11.
He plans to release a video with more details about the project. Regarding traffic, the contractor plans to have at least one lane open.
“People may not be able to go both ways, but one lane of traffic will be open. The other direction will probably have to find another alternate route,” Starr said.
The project will also slow down traffic around Dan Emmett Elementary School.
