Humboldt County Public Safety Sunday Brings Hands-On Learning to McKinleyville

More than fifteen public safety agencies converged on McKinleyville High School's 1300 Murray Road campus Sunday for a free, three-hour showcase that let families walk through a Mobile Command Van, meet K9 deputies, and get up close with helicopters and emergency vehicles.

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office organized Public Safety Sunday in partnership with McKinleyville High School, McKinleyville Ace Hardware, and the McKinleyville Chamber of Commerce. Doors opened at noon and the event ran until 3 p.m., drawing both children and adults to live safety demonstrations spread across the afternoon.

The participating agency list stretched from tribal and local law enforcement to federal maritime services. Alongside the Sheriff's Office, attendees encountered the Arcata Police Department, Eureka Police Department, Fortuna Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, Rio Dell Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and the Yurok Tribal Police Department, one of the few tribal law enforcement agencies in the region with a public-facing presence at a county safety event of this scale. The United States Coast Guard also participated, as did CAL FIRE, Cal OES, Mad River Ambulance, the Arcata Fire District and its Volunteer Ladder Unit, Shelter Cove Fire Department, Humboldt County CERT, and Humboldt County Neighborhood/Business Watch.

CAL FIRE's presence came through the Humboldt-Del Norte Unit, headquartered in Fortuna and covering Humboldt, Del Norte, and western Trinity Counties. The unit, led by Chief Kurt McCray, responded to approximately 94 wildfires that burned 178 acres during the 2024 fire season, a modest footprint compared to the statewide toll of more than 7,668 fires burning over a million acres that same year.

Sponsoring the event were McKinleyville Ace Hardware, Mad River Rotary, and Edward Jones, represented locally by Sara Newblom.

Organizers framed the afternoon not as a passive display but as an invitation for residents to consider their own role in emergency preparedness. The Sheriff's Office continues to encourage community members to subscribe to HCSO news alerts at humboldtsheriff.org/subscribe.