Madison Messenger - September 1st, 2019

PAGE 12 - MADISON MESSENGER - September 1, 2019
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Safety Expo attracts record-breaking crowd
Ellie Peters, 7, of London taps out a Morse code message at the Madison
County Amateur Radio Club booth. Members of the club, formed
in 1979, enjoyed answering questions about their equipment.
By Theresa Hennis
Staff Writer/Photographer
The Madison County Safety Expo
welcomed a record crowd to the
Madison County Fairgrounds in
London on Aug. 24. A total of 1,048
people—577 children and 471 adults—
attended the event, the most in its
18-year history.
The Madison County Emergency
Management Agency hosts the expo
in collaboration with emergency responders,
law enforcement, health
care providers and others. The event
offers something for everyone, from
hands-on safety learning adventures
to clowns making balloon sculptures.
This year, the expo also included
a dedication ceremony honoring
Brad Haynes of London, a firefighter
and paramedic who died in a
helicopter accident on Jan. 29. A memorial
bench was placed in front of
the flag pole overlooking a field on
which emergency helicopters land
each year for the expo. Haynes enjoyed
watching the helicopters land
at past expos, and his family and
friends felt it was the perfect spot to
place the bench.
Taner Smith, a firefighter with Central Townships Joint Fire District,
helps Noah Cleaver, 9, of London direct the water spray from a fire
hose to put out a pretend fire on a mock-up of a burning house.
Cleaver successfully hit his target, learning just how difficult it can be
to maneuver a heavy fire hose.
(From left) Jefferson Township Fire Chief
Paul Van Horn of London, Madison County
EMD Lt. Trish Hall of Mechanicsburg, and
Chaplain Larry Baker of West Jefferson
lead a ceremony dedicating a bench in
memory of Brad Haynes of London, a firefighter
and paramedic who died in a helicopter
accident on Jan. 29. Baker, who
serves Pleasant and Prairie townships, in
addition to the 4 Unit Police Fire Retirees
of Ohio (PFRO), said, “Over 600 times in
the Bible, we’re called to remember. Our
memories influence who we are, and we
are called to look out for one another. Brad
was always about doing that. What did we
say after 9-11? ‘We will not forget.’ And we
will not forget Brad Haynes and his service
to our community.” Members of Brad’s
family attended the ceremony and expressed
how thankful they were for the
outpouring of love and donations from the
community for the memorial bench.
A Shriner clown, Barrels
Da Clown, of Cincinnati
creates a balloon sword as
Eli Wentzel (left), 3, of
Plain City and his brother,
Miles, 1, watch closely.
Several clowns were at the
expo to entertain the
crowd.
Nurse and paramedic Amber Vandenbos (left) of Cedarville answers
questions about a Care Flight helicopter and crew from Gracie Salley,
5, of London as Salley’s mother, Shelley Salley, lifts her son, Wyatt, 1,
into the helicopter. The Care Flight helicopter, part of Miami Valley
Hospital of Dayton and based in Urbana, was a highlight of the expo
for children and parents alike.
The Madison County Expo
was established in the wake
of the tragedy of the terrorist
attacks on the United States
in 2001. It has been held
yearly since 2002.