A community safety day event is scheduled for Oct. 12 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds to instruct county citizens the importance of protecting themselves during an emergency.

This free family event will run from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. It will include fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, helicopters, plus activities for the children such as inflatables and a bicycle helmet giveaway.

A one-hour planning meeting was held at the Montgomery Fire Protection District building on Sept. 18 which included 13 people, including assistant fire chief Cody Fortmann, Deputy Dan Gevermuehle of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, Montgomery City Area Chamber of Commerce president Desiree Peak, Montgomery County conservation agent Bree Retterath and Michelle Schnapp of Mimi’s Shaved Ice and Lemonade.

Fortmann said he had a vision of doing something to educate the community about staying safe.

“I grew up in the fire industry, so I kind of knew a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that most citizens have no idea about,” Fortmann said. “ So I always wanted to put some type of organization together. I actually talked to Desiree about it during Hometown Christmas last year, trying to get something started. My wife was like, ‘Why don’t you do something at the firehouse.’ My daughter goes to homeschool at Grace Lutheran Church in Wellsville. I think there were 30 kids coming in (to the presentation).”

The event received almost $1,000 of donations from community organizations such as the Montgomery City Area Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club of Montgomery City. The Chamber donated $500.

“I told Cody I would team up with him on this because this is important stuff to me,” Peak said. “Yes, I’m the president of the Chamber, but I am not doing this as a Chamber thing. I’m helping because this is important to me.”

Fortmann said plans for Community Safety Day started in July.

“It’s been a fast-paced kind of thing because we haven’t had a whole lot of time to do it,” Fortmann said. “Desiree was the one who put her foot in my back and say, ‘Let’s go.’”

Fortmann said he thanked the fairgrounds for helping out in hosting Community Safety Day. The Montgomery Fire Protection District spray out the Beer Gardens and the 4-H building at the fairgrounds every year.

“They usually donate a day for people to come out and have a Christmas party or something in their facility,” Fortmann said. “I really didn’t know that. I just went to Chasity (Lichtenberg) of the fair board and ended up meeting them at a meeting one night. They were super happy to donate the grounds. They actually donated the Merchants building because we were going to spend over $600 on some porta-potties. I’m like, ‘Why do that when we can open up the Merchants building to have clean restrooms and the building when we needed it?’”

Gates will open at 9 a.m. helicopters will arrive at 10 a.m. and a water barrel contest will start at 11 a.m.

“We’re hoping this is an annual event, so hopefully it only gets bigger and better from here,” Fortmann said.