Eagle County locals connect with law enforcement, first responders during National Night Out

The Freedom Park parking lot in Edwards had a party atmosphere Tuesday evening — complete with live music, a bounce house, free food and more — as locals mingled with Eagle County’s first responders.

This was the Edwards station for National Night Out, an annual nationwide evening on the first Tuesday of August that promotes police-community partnerships and goodwill.

In Eagle County, law enforcement and other emergency responders came out to stations throughout the county for a variety of activities, and an opportunity to positively engage with the community.

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While last year’s National Night Out events were drenched in rain — as a national event, the date does not change even for weather — this year was warm and sunny, with occasional lightning in the mountains making for a dramatic background.

The Edwards National Night Out setup featured a wide range of representatives from the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office, Vail Health, SpeakUp ReachOut, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, the Eagle River Fire Protection District, the Salvation Army, and even an EMS helicopter and flight crew.

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National Night Out “puts a face to law enforcement,” said Mike McClinton, detentions deputy in training with the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office. “So it’s not just an anonymous car you see down the street, it’s a personality, a friendly face, someone who is working in the community, trying to help the community.”

“It’s building that relationship with the community, and trying to say ‘we’re here for you guys, don’t be afraid to come talk to us,'” said Dustin Oakley, a patrol deputy and school resource officer for the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.

The mood was relaxed and jovial as families came out to explore the unique attractions brought to the event by each organization.

Early in the evening, the Glenwood Springs-based EMS helicopter landed in the Freedom Park parking lot in a coned off area. Kids and families could meet and talk with the helicopter’s pilot, Curt Collins, and nurse, and look into the patient area in the back. 

“It’s good for people to be able to come out and see all the first responders and the different agencies that work in this area,” Collins said.

Collins became a pilot in 2005 after retiring from his 29-year career as a firefighter and paramedic. The most special part of the job is “the opportunity we get to take care of some pretty special patients, dealing with the kiddos and getting people where they need to be, to the bigger facilities,” he said.

The Eagle River Fire Protection District brought a fire engine, which proved incredibly popular. 

The Salvation Army food truck’s hot dogs were another hit — the line didn’t shrink for over an hour. Dan Smith, who runs emergency disaster services for the Salvation Army in Eagle County, had the idea to start the truck in 2007 to provide food for firefighters stationed on wildfires for extended periods of time.

The food truck has factory four-wheel drive — “the only one in the country,” Smith said — enabling it to go into the backcountry, where the truck and its volunteer crew can provide three meals a day for up to 300 people while stationed at the staging area of a wildfire.

The National Night Out provides publicity for the food truck, letting the community know about its services, Smith said. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the truck went to five to seven fires per year, all over the state. During the pandemic, the truck provided meals to people who were quarantined and in need of food. Smith said he conducted three recruiting interviews on the spot for potential food truck volunteers during Tuesday’s event.

Layton Stutsman, district wildlife manager for Colorado Parks & Wildlife, brought one of the tools the agency uses to catch those hunting illegally: A bear with a head that moves mechanically. National Night Out provided an opportunity to remind the public that the agency does serve as law enforcement, though most may not think of it that way. Stutsman used the bear as an opportunity to educate people about how to protect bears and other wildlife with their own actions. Plus, the bear and its realistic movements were a hit with kids (and adults).

Kids were also drawn to the items given away by Vail Health and SpeakUp ReachOut. The latter’s stress balls were particularly popular. While SpeakUp ReachOut, Eagle County’s suicide prevention organization, is not a first responder, it works in conjunction with Eagle County’s first responders, and provided resources and information to those that came by the booth on Tuesday.

“Community engagement is so important because it gives us the opportunity to talk to people in a more casual setting, and spread awareness,” said Leslie Robertson, SpeakUp ReachOut’s awareness and brand manager. “For us, just being the ones to start the conversation then can help other people have those conversations, too.”

Some kids even climbed into a sheriff’s vehicle, with one lucky child hitting the siren, startling those standing nearby.

McClinton, the detentions deputy in training, decided to start working at the jail after living in Eagle County for decades. “This is an opportunity to come over to the jail and help out people who are at a bad time in their life, show them some dignity and respect, help them through that,” McClinton said.

McClinton’s trainer, Chase Reed, a detentions deputy for the sheriff’s office, also joined specifically to work at the jail. “You see people at their lowest moment, and I like being there to remind them: ‘you’re not the sum of your mistakes. You might be here right now, but that doesn’t have to define who you are,'” he said.

National Night Out is “the one time of year when all first responders dedicate themselves to working and showing themselves in the community aspects here versus out on the road,” Oakley said. “Our goal is to try and cater to the people as best we can and answer as many questions and be that outpouring of support for the community.”