By Anelia K. Dimitrova
Parents with kids of all ages and citizens of all walks of life packed the Cedar Falls Public Safety building on Sunday afternoon for an open house.
It was the first time that the department opened its doors to the community on a Sunday, Capt. Tim Smith told me. As it turned out, the timing was perfect as the next door Fareway parking lot offered convenience for the duration of the event since the grocery store is closed on Sundays.
Public Safety Director Craig Berte estimated that more than 500 guested attended the event. “Lots of young kids,” he said.
With minutes before the 3:30 p.m. kickoff, Capt. Kelli Yates ushered me in to observe the last-minute preparations.
Two fire engines and an ambulance were parked outside the fire engines bay, and pretty soon, they would draw kids who wanted to climb into the fire trucks and parents who wanted to snag a snapshot of the precious moment.
Inside, two sets of five long tables with folding chairs, awaited guests. Off to the left side of the spacious area, Capt. Brooke Heuer and officer Ashley Luck were setting up a table with plastic helmets for the kids and other gifts.
At the other end of the lineup, at another table, two members of the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office prepped to show kids how to dial 911.
In the parking lot behind the building, Lt. Sam Shafer had fired up the grill. A 2004 UNI graduate with 16 years of service at the Cedar Falls PD, he had volunteered to prepare the hot dogs because he knows his way around the grill.
What makes a good hot dog, he explained, was the sear.
“It’s the grill marks,” he joked, adding that at one point he worked at a restaurant kitchen. “I enjoy doing this.”
Inside, Capt. Kelli Yates, Lt. Gavin Carman, Lt. Kari Rea, and Capt. Tim Smith were ready to serve the hot dogs, courtesy of Fareway.
Among the officers waiting to meet the community was Jessica Bradley. A 2018 UNI grad, she is one of 15 women on the force, she said, and glad to be a part of the department since 2024.
Emergency services, first responders and a SWAT team vehicle were also on hand to give the public closer-than-usual view of their work environments. Among them was Jim Stanton, who has worked as an EMT for 47 years, and Ervin Rizvic, on the job for nearly 7 months now.
In short order, people started streaming through the doors and lining up to go through the stations. The queue curled up around the entrance with families filled with anticipation and kids eager to try on firefighter helmets and toys.
Hadley Tegeler, 4, one of the many kids that waited in line, smiled for her mom, carrying a coloring page, her plastic helmet askew. So did Baker Peyton, 4, who also felt proud to pose with his firefighter helmet, making his parents smile.
One of the activities that attracted a lot of attention inside was a simulated fire on an electronic screen which was “put out” when a kid aimed at it with a fire extinguisher prop.
Outside, a more active setup, with a house prop “on fire” offered the next challenge. With the help of a firefighter, kids aimed the water from a hose at three signs signifying “fire” placed in the windows and on the roof. Once the water hit the signs, the fun ended and the “fire” was extinguished.
“It’s always fun to come and support the local public safety,” said Kaitlin Tegeler, one of the community members, summing up the experience at the event.
