KINGMAN – The annual City Expo is an opportunity for locals to ask questions, learn about city projects, and discover new features that departments offer to staff.
At the Thursday, June 9 City Expo event at Centennial Park in Kingman, families got to see a fire truck, police motorcycle and even a medical helicopter.
Kingman Police Department Lt. Brian Zach discussed the department’s push for health and well-being among staff, including a push for mental health.
Zach said that the last few years the department has experienced stress and burn out. The department decided to prioritize the health of all their officers. Officers now have regular mental health check-ups, as well as a critical stress management team that helps officers during a crisis.
“We preach overall wellness, so we’re looking at our mental health,” Zach said.
Zach also said that 14 members were selected and sent to training to learn how to provide peer support. Staff participated in a survey to determine who in the department they would talk to if they had an issue.
“We’re trying to focus on the longevity,” Zach said. “Twenty to 25 years can be a lot.”
Besides focusing on mental health, the department is also prioritizing physical health through regular checkups as a way for officers to be proactive in their health. From blood work to organ screenings to diet, the department wants to make sure staff has a long healthy life.
Fire Prevention Specialist Oscar Lopez said the main question among community members is how their tax dollars are being used. He said the City Expo is a great way for individuals to see how their money is staying local and providing them lifesaving services.
“When you hear the phrase ‘shop local,’ this is why,” Lopez said as he pointed at a fire truck. “Equipment like this, like the police and all other departments that are within the city, what they have is critical.”
Lopez said when people go to the store or buy a vehicle, they’re contributing to not only personnel safety, but also to their own safety. While tax money use is often argued about, keeping locals safe is money well spent.
“The most important part is the personnel that’s in there, they’re local,” Lopez said
Lopez also shared facts about the fire truck to kids, such as why fire trucks are red. The main reason fire trucks are red follows tradition. However, there was a time when fire truck shifted to a yellow paint due to an uptick in accidents with the red fire trucks. However, it was determined accidents did not happen due to the color of the truck, so they’ve shifted back to the traditional red. However, at the end of the day, the color of the vehicle is irrelevant.
“We don’t just go buy equipment because it’s nice, pretty and red. We buy it because it’s what the city needs,” Lopez said.
Kingman Sanitation Superintendent Ed Tapia said the main push for City Expo attendees was to remind them to put out their trash at 6 a.m. on pickup days. Another issue they’re trying to address is reminding people to tie their trash bags prior to putting it in the bin.
Tapia noted that if trash bags aren’t tied that trash can blow around the community. Tying the bags is a simple fix that helps beautify the community and make’s the staff’s work easier.
The trash truck was also a big hit among families and kids as department staff demonstrated how the vehicle operated.
“It’s a trash truck,” Solid Waste Crew Leader Glen Proudfoot said. “You know, the kids love it.”
