London wraps up Emergency Preparedness Week with hands-on family event

First responders and families got together on Saturday for the last day of City of London Emergency Preparedness Week. CTV’s Lauren Stallone explains.

Five-year-old Liam got his chance to be a real firefighter when he turned on the hose.

“Bigger,” cheered Liam. “It was splashing a lot.”

Just a few feet away, dressed in a police costume, Oliver Mutch pretended to drive an OPP cruiser.

“Oliver has loved coming to see the police cars since you were probably one year old, you just started walking and anytime we see one he’s always got to wave and say hello or ask for high fives,” said Rachel Mutch, Oliver’s mom. “Over the years we’ve collected many different costumes to wear because he just absolutely adores and wants to be an RCMP.”

The event was more than just a touch-a-truck event. Those in attendance could speak to officials and get insight on emergency preparedness.

“How to be prepared for their family and the world and themselves,” explained Andre Beauregard, London manager of emergency management. “As well as the emergency kits for the personal pets they have at home so that you can be ready for 72 two hours during a large-scale event.”

This event took place on Saturday, the final day of Emergency Preparedness Week, and London has had its fair share of disasters including a tornado warning, issued just hours after this event concluded.

“We’ve had explosions, we’ve had building collapses, we’ve had, you know, huge tragedies,” said London Mayor Josh Morgan. “There’s been so many times that I’ve been in the emergency operations center, watching this professional team execute their training and their plans so professionally and in great service to Londoners and that’s why we face really tough challenges in the city and we’ve got through all of them together because we have great training and great personnel leading the way.”