Explore a police helicopter at the Taste of Annandale

Kids take look inside a police helicopter at a Communities of Trust event at Bailey’s Elementary School in 2016.

A police helicopter is excepted to land at the Taste of Annandale on Oct. 13 as part of an educational display on law enforcement organized by the Fairfax County Communities of Trust Committee.

The helicopter is scheduled to be open to the public on the field behind the Annandale Fire Station on Columbia Pike 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (unless it’s needed for a police emergency).

One or more cruisers and motorcycles, as well as other police and emergency equipment, will also be on site.

In a related activity, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office will host a child ID event as part of the children’s programming during the Taste of Annandale at the ACCA Child Development Center. Sheriff’s deputies will create plastic IDs for parents that will be helpful for law enforcement if the child should ever become missing.

Oct. 13 is also the day all the fire stations in Fairfax County are having an open house, including the Annandale Volunteer Fire Department next to the Child Development Center. Kids will have a chance to explore fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency gear, while the whole family can learn about fire prevention and watch first-aid demonstrations.

Fairfax County launched the Communities of Trust Committee in 2015 to improve communication and trust among law enforcement agencies and the public. It was formed at the urging of Shirley Ginwright of the Fairfax County NAACP in response to the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., after police killed an unarmed African American youth. The goal is to prevent a similar incident here.

The committee hosts community events, such as Public Safety Day at Bailey’s Elementary School in June 2016 and a forum on police-community relations in Lincolnia in October 2016.