Monroeville prepares for annual National Night Out

Monroeville emergency services are preparing for their annual National Night Out celebration.

The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 2 in Monroeville Community Park West at Pavilions 2 and 4.

There will be fire trucks, police cars, ambulances and an emergency helicopter, and members of the Allegheny County Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (Bomb Squad) will attend with their robot to demonstrate how it is used to disarm explosives.

Local vendors will be there, including The Meadows, which will be serving ice cream, and Amy Burns will represent State Farm in her face-painting booth.

Other children’s activities will be provided by the Monroeville Public Library, the local animal shelter and the municipal recreation and parks department.

“We really wanted to make it all about the kids this year,” said Michele Dusch, administrative assistant to the Monroeville police chief. “We want them to be familiar with emergency services. We don’t want them to be afraid of policemen, but we want them to respect police at the same time.”

National Night Out is an event that takes place all over the country. Emergency services host the event in order to bond with community members and encourage people to feel comfortable reaching out if they ever need help.

The event was started by the National Association of Town Watch almost 39 years ago. It began with residents keeping their porch lights on through the night, and slowly evolved into a community block party.

“I think this event will help build a strong relationship, and the kids will know that they can go to the police if they see something they are uncomfortable with, or maybe it will deter accidents in the future because they have a good relationship with the police,” said Dusch.

For more information regarding National Night Out, visit the municipal website, www.monroeville.pa.us, or contact the Monroeville Police Department.