On July 6, the Aquinnah Police Department announced the seventh Annual Aquinnah Public Safety Day on Facebook. The event is planned to be held on Saturday, July 17, from noon to 4 pm at Aquinnah Circle. Alongside the police, the Aquinnah Fire Department and Tri-Town Ambulance will be participating in the event. Smokey Bear, the mascot for wildfire prevention in the U.S. since 1944, will also appear as the event’s first special guest who is a mascot. Another special appearance will be a Massachusetts State Police helicopter that is scheduled to land in Aquinnah Circle during the event, as long as the weather is agreeable and there are no emergencies that require it to fly elsewhere. “The helicopter has participated in past events, and it has been a great addition to the event,” Aquinnah Police Chief Randhi Belain wrote in an email.
Belain said he started the Aquinnah Public Safety Day with Aquinnah Fire Department Chief Simon Bollin so the community and the first responders could get to know each other better. The Aquinnah Public Safety Day used to be held at the Aquinnah Fire Department, but the increasing popularity of the event required a larger space.
The Aquinnah Public Safety Day’s festivities will be prepared by both the Aquinnah police and fire departments, including free food, giveaways such as T-shirts and “child-related items,” and an opportunity to interact with “various police, fire, and EMS vehicles.”
Belain said the Aquinnah Cultural Center also holds an Artisans Fair during a similar time, so the Aquinnah Public Safety event will be held with the fair in the future.