Kearney Children's Museum gets new exhibit

KEARNEY - First responders in Kearney gathered Wednesday morning at the Kearney Area Children's Museum to have an official ribbon cutting for the Museum's newest exhibit.

The Public Safety Exhibit features items from both the Kearney Police Department and the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department, including a firetruck, cop car, dispatch center, fire pole and much more.

The exhibit is equipped with lights, toys and firefighter jackets and helmets, among other items.

The goal behind the exhibit is to inspire the youth.

"It's about realizing dreams. Letting the kids play and see what it's like to do some of the activities that firefighters do," Jeremy Feusner, the Captain of the Kearney Volunteer Fire Department, said.

The exhibit was made possible with the help of many area businesses and individuals, who the Police Department, Museum organizers, Mayor Stan Clouse and the Volunteer Fire Department made sure to mention.

"We have a lot of tremendous relationships, the community response that we have in this area we don't take for granted," Captain Mike Young of the Kearney Police Department said.

When speaking about the exhibit, both organizations mentioned how excited they were that children within the fire truck and cop car would have the capability to communicate, in real time, with children in an ambulance in an entirely different exhibit and in the dispatch center at the Public Safety Exhibit.

Feusner remembers being a kid and his play and experiences inspiring his career path and hoping this exhibit can do the same for today's children.

"This will give them a chance to do what I got to do, which is hang out and play with fire stuff," Feusner said.

Mayor Clouse spoke before the ribbon was cut, discussing how special the exhibit is and how great it is the two groups came together to do something beneficial for the community and Museum.

"Probably the biggest thing is, we're setting a stage for future generations and that's where it all starts," Clouse said. "When kids get to play on trucks and cars and get hands on experience and that stirs something up that as they grow older they might decide that's something they want to be a part of."

For more information on the Museum's hours and guidelines for health and safety of visitors you can visit the Museum's website.