Fox Chapel Area School District to host community safety event in Aspinwall

Fox Chapel Area School District Police are partnering with borough police and neighboring law enforcement to present its second annual free Community Safety Event on April 22 in the parking lot at 241 Freeport Road across from the Aspinwall borough building.

It will feature free bike helmets, free T-shirts, and food, as well as a bike safety course, bike rides with police, bike repairs, games and car seat checks. State Farm also is sponsoring a DUI simulator at the event. Other activities include raffles and emergency vehicles for children to explore.

“Our school resource officers are incredibly caring individuals who put the needs and safety of the students and staff first,” Joe Kozarian, the school district’s chief of school police/school safety and security coordinator, said via news release. “This event is a way to say thank you to the community on behalf of the officers because of the amazing support they receive at the school from the students and the parents.

“It’s also a way to bring together the community first responders in a fun environment where our students can meet others in the community who help to keep them safe.”

Officers from the Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel, Sharpsburg and O’Hara and Indiana Township police departments, as well as local fire and EMS departments are expected to participate.

“It’s a safety day,” said Aspinwall Police Chief David Nemec. “The main thing is police interacting with the community or surrounding communities. We care about the teenagers and the young kids. It has a little bit of everything.”

Nemec said bicycle safety is a good thing to learn no matter the age of a rider.

“Even on a bicycle, you still have to go by the rules of the road,” Nemec said. “If we do stuff like this every year kids are more apt to remembering things or even stop an officer (and interact).

District residents can bring unused and/or unwanted prescription medications to be properly disposed of at the Aspinwall Police Department as part of its participation in the DEA National Drug Takeback efforts. The Pittsburgh Poison Center will have an information booth.

“All the departments in this valley work very closely together,” said Blawnox Police Chief Patrick Goodman. “We all cooperate and help each other out when needed. I have a lot of fun down at that event. I helped out last year.”

More information is available at the school district resource officers’ Facebook page or by contacting Kozarian at joseph_kozarian@fcasd.edu.