Hinesburg's First National Night Out
Emergency responders welcome residents to show what they do and how they do it.
By Claire MacDonald
Hinesburg Record Staff Reporter
Hinesburg joined almost 17,000 other communities across the country on Tuesday, Aug. 4, in hosting National Night Out – an initiative led by police departments that seeks to build and strengthen relationships between public safety agencies and the neighborhoods they serve.
The event, spearheaded by Chief of Police Christopher Romance and held in conjunction with the Hinesburg Fire Department, also featured representatives from Richmond Rescue, the Vermont National Guard, and Vermont Emergency Management.
Several vehicles were opened up to tour: three firetrucks, an ambulance, and a pickup-truck-style Humvee were all on display. A table offered free, informative flyers and graphics from Vermont Emergency Management.
Richmond Rescue EMTs invited attendees inside the ambulance to turn on the lights and sirens.
Firefighter Alex Seigo participated in previous National Night Out events when he volunteered for the Essex Junction Fire Department.
He said his own interest in the career began when he was young, watching his dad as a volunteer firefighter.
“I would hang out at the fire station or watch them go on calls,” he said. “Part of our job is to pass [interest] along to the next generation, and if I can even just get it started for somebody else, that’s pretty cool for me.”
National Guard representatives Josh Fish and James Varian had also been involved in National Night Out in their former states of residence.
“It’s nice … to put the faces to the names of the officers and see what kind of stuff we [have] available,” Varian said.
Fish noted that in many other states, almost every town opts into the event.
“I think it’s good to get it started [here],” he said. “Especially with the climate now, it’s nice just saying hey, come see what we do and who we are.”