MOSES LAKE — First responders and the people they serve mingled this week in three Columbia Basin communities for National Night Out.  

“We’re reaching the community, handing out some cool stickers and free stuff, showing them we’re not so scary,” said Washington State Patrol Sgt. Thomas LaFave at Quincy National Night Out on Monday. 

About 800 people came out to meet police officers, firefighters and community service organizations at Lauzier Park, according to QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who organized the event. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the WSP, Grant County Fire District 3 and other emergency services brought cars, trucks and ambulances to demonstrate for children, who were fascinated by the lights and sirens. The youngsters were allowed to climb inside the vehicles and check out all the specialized equipment. 

“I think it’s cool how they actually unloaded all the rigs,” said Brenna Becerra, whose daughter, Luisa, was exploring an ambulance. “You can see all the equipment: the airway bag, the medication bag, stuff like that. So, if you’re interested in what’s inside of the ambulance, you can get in without having to be in one.” 

Besides the first responders, there was plenty for children to do. Quincy Parks and Recreation brought out toys and games, but the most popular item by far was the dunk tower. That was kind of a reverse dunk tank, with a bucket suspended over a seat. Every time a pitcher hit the target, the bucket dumped its contents on the person below. Children waited in line to be the soaker and the soakee, and with temperatures in the 90s, the line to be dunked was longer. 

“We're just out here having fun with the kids,” said Parks and Recreation Director Russ Harrington as he refilled the bucket from a hose. “A lot of the kids, we know from different programs that we put on, or know their parents, and so we can make fun of the kids and heckle them as they're trying to throw.” 

The Grant Public Utility District brought a demonstration setup out to teach children about electricity. High-voltage wires were rigged up and PUD workers incinerated a kite on them to show the children why it was a good idea to stay away from power lines. 

“Anytime you introduce yourself to anything electric up here, where's it going to come out at? Your feet,” PUD lineman Daniel Lindemeier told the dozen or so children watching the demonstration. “It’s devastating. Please do not do it. That's why we always tell everybody, if you ever see anything down on the ground, stay back … We do not stand a chance against electricity.” 

Moses Lake had its event Tuesday, at Sinkiuse Square downtown. Fire trucks, police vehicles, the WSP’s bomb squad equipment and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office Mobile Command Center were all out on display. 

“(We’re) getting people to sign up for county alerts so that we can alert them (to) police activity, road closures, flood warnings, severe storms, basically anything that people need to know from an emergency standpoint,” said GCSO Emergency Management Specialist Jessica Olson, who was staffing the table outside the MCC. “And then we do a lot of public education with the kids, so we have coloring books, lights for their bikes. (We) answer any questions that they have, kind of humanize asking those questions and being a good partner.” 

The Downtown Moses Lake Association had a scavenger hunt set up for the children, said DMLA President Denise Kinder. 

“Kids can go around (to) a couple of businesses and some booths, and they can go find the badge at each location, bring it back to us, and they get entered to win two wristbands to the carnival,” Kinder said. 

National Night Out for Ritzville was held Tuesday evening and featured support from East Adams Rural Hospital, Ritzville Fire Department and Ritzville Police Department. 

“I think it went really well,” said Ritzville Police Chief Mike Suniga. “Got to meet a lot of great citizens and we had a really good turnout for our movie night afterward.” 

Ritzville’s event features a free showing of the movie National treasure along with hot dogs grilled by Suniga and freshly popped popcorn. There were also activities such as ladder ball and bean bag toss that people could play or stop and check out the vehicles brought by the emergency service departments. 

This was Suniga’s first time hosting the event after taking over as chief in April and many first responder’s first time participating in National Night Out in Ritzville.  

“This was my first time ever doing it or even hearing of it,” said Officer Brandon Beckgemeiner with Ritzville PD. “(Suniga) has done it a couple of times with other departments he used to be with. He explained it to us it’s just a cool time to hang out in the park with the community, say hi to people and give people some dinner with hotdogs and popcorn.” 

Beckgemeiner said a small police department such as the one in Ritzville strives to do constant community outreach within the city during their day-to-day patrol, but an event such as this provides a more casual setting for the officers to sit down and interact with members in the community. 

This was also the first year attending National Night out for paramedic Sara Bayless with East Adams Rural Hospital. She said she enjoyed seeing the children at the event explore the firetrucks and ambulances and that it was important to get them more comfortable with first responders. 

“Sometimes the lights, the sirens, they can be scary and we’re not always showing up at good times,” said Bayless. “So, the more comfortable they can get with us in easy times, makes it easier when we run calls.” 

The Ritzville Library was present with activities for online safety and information for upcoming events hosted by the library. Millie Hopkins, the director of the library, said the event was a good opportunity for her to go and meet the people of the community while also promoting what the library has to offer. 

The event also had support from Adams County officials and officers from Odessa Police department. Suniga said Ritzville will also be supporting Odessa’s National Night Out on Aug. 20. 

For next year’s event Suniga said he would also like to incorporate an “ice cream social” aspect and get more law enforcement partners involved. 

“It was great to see the community just embracing the National Night Out and just getting out there, meeting their neighbors, and having a good community event,” he said.

    A young attendee at Quincy’s National Night Out suffers the consequences of a well-placed pitch to the dunk tower Monday.
  

    An EMS worker with East Adams Rural Healthcare gives Haley Rojas, Anah Rojas, Aurora Rojas, and Shalom Malby a tour of the ambulance during Ritzville’s National Night Out. The event featured vehicles from EMS, fire and police departments.
  

    Grant PUD workers demonstrate what happens to a kite caught in power wires at Quincy’s National Night Out event Monday.
  

    From left: Mila Stonge, 4 1/2; Porter, 2; and Heston Miers, 4 1/2 listen as Grant County Sheriff’s Cpl. Jordan Miers shows them around the GCSO’s patrol boat at Moses Lake National Night Out Tuesday.
  

    Attendees at Ritzville’s National Night Out line up for hot dogs being freshly grilled by Ritzville’s Police Chief Mike Suniga.
  

    Liam Valle, 4, left, and his sister Delilah Valle, 6, play a game of Connect Four at National Night Out in Quincy.
  

    GCSO Emergency Management Specialist Jessica Olson, right, tells 7-year-old Sally Ortega about the Mobile Command Center at National Night Out in Moses Lake Tuesday.
  

    Eli Rojas and his father Howie Rojas check out the Ritzville Police Chief's truck during the National Night Out event at Ritzville City Park. Eli’s mother, Sabrina Rojas, said that Eli’s love for fire and police vehicles was a driving factor that brought them out to the event.
  

    Tate Bell eats some popcorn that was given out during Ritzville’s National Night Out. Tate said he was excited to watch the movie National Treasure later that evening.
  

    Shalom Malby, 6, throws a beanbag as she tries out a game of cornhole at Ritzville’s National Night Out. Shalom came with her uncle Joe Malby who said it was a great opportunity for his niece to get out and play with some friends.