![A Lifepoint Church student gets to try on a bulletproof vest and police cap during his homeschooler group's Oct. 19 visit to the Crestview Police Department, conducted by Community Services Officer Sam Kimmons. [BRIAN HUGHES | CRESTVIEW POLICE DEPARTMENT]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-5b95ad69-2ba7-6db8-e053-0100007fa3a2-2eb15374.jpeg)
CRESTVIEW — The pre-kindergarten kids in Lifepoint Church’s homeschooler group learned about their community police force during a recent field trip to the Whitehurst Municipal Building.
Ten boys and girls, under the vigilant eyes of six moms, took a tour of the Crestview Police Department, escorted by Community Services Officer Sam Kimmons. He used the opportunity to tell the kids about the importance of calling 9-1-1 during an emergency, and advised the mothers to teach their children their address.
“We’ve had situations where little kids have been able to tell the 9-1-1 dispatcher their address when their mommies or daddies were having a medical emergency, like a diabetic attack,” Kimmons told the women.
The children got a brief tour of the department’s offices on their way to the secure parking lot where they got to climb aboard the Community Services truck. A couple blasts on the siren and the flashing blue lights captivated the kids’ fleeting attention.
“Are there any red lights?” one boy asked.
“No,” Kimmons said. “Red lights mean a fire engine or an ambulance.”
After trying on a bullet-proof vest and police cap, the visitors went out front, where they got to see the agency’s rescue vehicle with wheels that dwarfed most of the kids. Investigator Shawn Temple, who spearheaded the refurbishment of the former military truck, explained how its high clearance allows it to go through floodwater to rescue people trapped in low-lying areas.
A chorus of “thank you’s” followed the hour-long visit as the kids departed, each sporting a shiny “junior officer” stick-on badge.
School, club and scouting groups, service and fraternal organizations are welcome to visit the Crestview Police Department. Groups should contact a Community Services officer to arrange a Whitehurst Municipal Building headquarters tour. The personnel, facilities and equipment visitors may see will depend on officer training schedules, workloads and availability.
Contact Officer Wanda Hulion or Sam Simmons, 682-3544, to arrange a tour.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Kids explore the Crestview Police Department