Anthony Casper is a member of the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue squad who also serves as a fire official for Guttenberg. He also has been the coordinator and director of the town’s "Safe Kids Program" since its inception in 1995.
The town started the program in conjunction with a nationwide program that would teach children the importance of safety, as well as promote associations with the police, fire and emergency medical service workers.
"They were having a Safe Kids Week throughout the country, so one night at Town Hall, we discussed the possibility of having a Safe Kids Day," Casper said. "We could get a committee together of police, fire, EMS, and safety personnel and show kids all the safety measures. And we could turn it into a fun day."
The event, filled with educational demonstrations and games and rides, was a hit in Guttenberg for a few years. It was scheduled to be held again in 2000, but Casper was hospitalized with meningitis, so the event was canceled.
"We were really looking forward to having a bigger and better event this year," Casper said.
However, the day was originally scheduled for Sept. 15. The attacks at the World Trade Center four days earlier postponed it.
"We really didn’t feel it was a good time to have a fun event with people celebrating, just four days after the disaster," Casper said. "We decided to hold it off for a while and see what happens."
It was then re-scheduled for Oct. 6, to coincide with the beginning of Fire Prevention Week. Then, one of the major sponsors, Outback Restaurants, who was supplying the hamburgers for the day, could not make it.
"I was a little nervous that no one would show up, because we put it off twice," Casper said. "Should we do it? I think we were all a little leery that people wouldn’t come."
However, if you tell kids that they’re going to get free hotdogs, hamburgers, sodas, popcorn and cotton candy, as well as seeing some interesting emergency vehicles, play free games and win prizes, chances are they would come in droves.
And that’s what happened last Saturday along Boulevard East, when approximately 3,000 people came to the event, which ran from noon to 6 p.m.
"We had a good turnout and everything went well," Casper said. "And we had a lot of volunteers who gave of their time, people of all ages, from the kids of Klein School to senior citizens. It really was a fun day."
Casper said that the funding for the event came from a small portion of the township’s budget and from private donations from local businesses.
Abreu Realty provided two clowns and a face painter to entertain the children. Shop-Rite and Pathmark also made significant contributions, as did Outback, which arrived to cook the 1,000 hamburgers it donated.
There was an "Amazing Maze," for toddlers to crawl through, rides like the giant slide and Joust-A-Bout. There were also games like the popular "laser tag" and eight different toss games that allowed children to win free prizes.
Of course, safety was still the theme, with representatives from the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue, the Weehawken Volunteer First Aid Rescue Squad, the National Guard and the Guttenberg police department on hand.
"When we originally scheduled, the state police and other EMS organizations were going to come, but after Sept. 11 they’ve been tied up," Casper said. "But I think everything went well. The weather was incredible and I think everyone had a great time."
And barring any unforeseen obstacles, Casper and his Safe Kids Day committee, namely Joanne Martin, Police Director Frank Criscione and his wife, Barbara, as well as Marianne Morrow and Robert Giancola, will begin planning the 2002 event in February.
"People have told us that they had such a good time that they can’t wait for next year," Casper said. "I think it was good that we had the event, that we gave everyone a chance to enjoy the day."