Hands-On Equipment And Aviation Displays Highlight Tenth Annual Touch-A-Truck

By Brian Spears

Redlands News Collective

REDLANDS — The annual Redlands Touch-A-Truck event returned this year, offering local families a hands-on experience with utility, safety and specialized vehicles.

Event founder Jim Nolan launched the program 10 years ago after Myra Patterson, the wife of a fellow Rotarian, shared details about a similar initiative in Santa Clarita. The project began a decade ago as a grassroots community effort to raise funds for a Redlands Fire Department ladder truck.

Nolan noted that organizers intentionally designed Touch-A-Truck to fill a unique niche in the local event landscape.

“We thought we'd do it as a fundraiser, but more as a community event," Nolan said, adding that many local service club events center around beer gardens. "There's a substantial population of residents in the neighborhood who probably need to avoid that for whatever reason... so we decided it would be a no-alcohol event. We'd just figure out whether we need to—if we break even, we've won.”

This year's lineup featured emergency vehicles from the Redlands Fire Department, Cal Fire and the Redlands Police Department’s armored truck. The city’s Public Works Department bulldozer was a major attraction for children, alongside a superhero appearance by Spiderman, courtesy of the nonprofit organization Mansion Memories.

Children also had the opportunity to view commercial equipment, including a forklift provided by Hertz Equipment Rental. City staff provided interactive displays to teach families about proper wastewater habits and how to prevent clogged pipes.

The San Bernardino International Airport also participated, bringing out a sky ladder that allowed families to take in elevated views of the event.

“We like to expose the community to opportunities in aviation, educate the young children here in our communities and expose them to equipment that we utilize,” Amber Casarez, marketing director of San Bernardino International Airport, said.

Numerous service groups and community organizations hosted booths to connect families with summer activities, featuring participants ranging from Garner Holt and the YMCA to the Scouts of America.

Nolan emphasized that the event offers distinct benefits for children of all ages.

“For the younger kids, just the lights and the sirens, and the stuff like that," Nolan said. "For the older kids, it's an opportunity to support vocational opportunities.”