Firehouse Subs hosts Touch-the-Truck event with Yuma firefighters

Firehouse Subs will turn its Big Curve location into a hands-on safety stop for Yuma families, giving children a chance to meet firefighters, climb aboard a fire truck and see the gear used in emergency response.

The Touch-the-Truck event is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Firehouse Subs in Yuma. The gathering is designed to be low-pressure and family-friendly, with firefighters on hand to talk directly with visitors and walk them through the equipment that helps save lives.

The timing lines up with International Firefighters’ Day on Monday, May 4. The observance is held each year on May 4 and was first marked on May 4, 1999. It was created to remember firefighters who have died in the line of duty and to show support for firefighters serving communities around the world.

For Yuma County families, the appeal is straightforward: a close-up look at public safety work without the rush of an emergency call. Children who are drawn to fire trucks will get a chance to see one up close, while parents can use the event to help explain what firefighters do, what their gear is for and why response times matter when seconds count.

The event also reflects the brand’s roots. Firehouse Subs says the company was founded by firefighters Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen. Its Public Safety Foundation was established in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, when the founders traveled to Mississippi to feed first responders and survivors.

Since then, the foundation says it has granted more than $107 million to hometown heroes and has supported 7,206 organizations across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. In 2025 alone, it says it granted 424 sets of bunker gear, 187 thermal imaging cameras, 476 AEDs, 21 rescue boats and 90 extrication tools.

Firehouse Subs says Touch-the-Truck activations are meant to bring communities together and offer fire-prevention tips from local first responders. In Yuma, that outreach will take place in a setting that is as practical as it is personal, with firefighters, families and emergency equipment all in one place for two hours on May 2.