Touch A Truck Introduces Kids To The Hard Working Vehicles Of Newtown

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — What do you get when you mix kids with big trucks, police cars, fire engines, ambulances and a few buses? Plenty of excitement, smiling faces and lots and lots of honking horns and wailing sirens.

Hundreds of youngsters, with their parents, siblings and caregivers in tow, spent a thrilling Tuesday morning and early afternoon climbing inside and on top of more than a dozen vehicles - and a helicopter - at Veterans Park.

The hugely popular “Touch a Truck” program, presented by the Newtown Township Parks and Recreation Department, gave youngsters between the ages of 3 and 12 an opportunity to get up close and personal with the big, hardworking trucks and emergency response vehicles seen around the township.

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Point me to the nearest overgrown yard. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Checking out the view from inside the SEPTA bus. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

After a long day of mowing, it was time for a rest. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

A youngster checks out the gurney inside a Newtown Ambulance. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The kids had fun checking out the inside of the "Two Men And A Truck" truck. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The Temple MedFlight helicopter was a popular attraction at the event. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Ringing the fire bell. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Ready to roll. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

This youngster found a quiet spot to take a nap. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Program coordinator Matt Zipin was thrilled with the sun-filled skies and the comfortable temperatures that brought out the crowds.

“I’m very happy. We've had a lot of people here and everyone seems to be having fun,” said Zipin, gazing around at all the excitement. “It’s great to see the community come together for some fun. The kids are having a ball. Lots of little kids going in and out of the vehicles hitting the horns. It’s just a fantastic event,” he said.

An excavator provided by the Newtown Artesian Water Company was a big hit as kids waited in line to sit in the driver's seat and to sound the horn. Also getting a lot of attention was the township's asphalt roller.

Youngsters also checked out the view from the back seat of a township police car and from a loftier position inside the cab of a Newtown Township dump tuck as their parents captured the moments with their smart phones.

They even got to sit - or in some cases lay - in the bucket of a John Deere tractor.

The kids also got a look inside an ambulance from the Newtown Ambulance Squad where they inspected all the different life-saving gadgets – everything from heart monitors and defibrillators to Band-Aids, stretchers and oxygen supply units.

They were also drawn to the fire trucks, getting to inspect Ladder 45 and Rescue 55 from Newtown Fire Rescue. It was easy to find the firefighters who were stationed next to the trucks in their blue uniforms.

Also drawing a lot of attention was, believe it or not, a Council Rock School bus from Durham School Services. Lots of kids enjoyed climbing onto the bus - some for the first time in their lives. A SEPTA bus parked nearby also caught the attention of the kids who got to sit in the driver's seat and peer out the windows.

Other participant at this year's event included Mission Barbecue and Bucks County Special Operations.

Also there providing yummy treats and food was the Kona Pizza food truck.

(Photo by Jeff Werner)

Members of the Newtown Township Police Department brought police cars and a motorcycle to the event.