Public safety workers from Casco and neighboring towns got together on Saturday, Sept. 28, for the fourth annual Public Safety Day at the Public Safety Building in Casco.

Children and their parents came to play on fire engines and boats, and to learn about safety from the experts.

“My goal is to give the kids a fun day, but also, we do it so our taxpayers know where their money is going and the resources we have to show for it,” said Assistant Fire Chief Scott Avery.

A bulk mailing to all taxpayers in the town of Casco and fliers were distributed in the schools notifying residents of the events. Avery is responsible for planning Public Safety Day, a tradition he began four years ago and hopes will keep an annual event.

This year, Avery was excited about increased participation. Representatives from the Windham Masons, the Maine Safe program, the Cumberland Oxford Chiefs Association were some of the organizations in attendance, each teaching children about various public safety jobs.

“It’s a little bigger every year,” said Avery.

Kids were excited to play on the public safety boat and explore the fire engines, inside and out. Some pretended to be firefighters. One of these children was 3-year-old Hunter Hills. His mother, Jennifer Hills, said he was overwhelmed with excitement to have a chance to play on a real fire truck.

“He wants to be a firefighter. It’s an infatuation,” said his mother, Jennifer Hills. She also felt that Public Safety Day had educational value for her son.

“It kind of gives kids an eye opener to what they do and why,” said Hills.

Besides all the fun, an important service was offered by the Windham Masons on Saturday. They provided child identification services to parents, in the form of a video interview, as well as a photo ID and fingerprints, to aid police in the event of an abduction.

“(The program provides) an item to show mannerisms and finger prints to provide information in case a child ever goes missing,” said Mason David Ross.

Services were provided at no cost.