June 24--Young visitors to the Greensboro Children's Museum have a new hands-on exhibit to explore. Guilford County Commissioners donated an out-of-service ambulance and equipment for the museum's "Get Out and Play" interactive exhibit, which also features a fire truck, police car, Volvo truck and Petty Enterprises race car.
"Having the ambulance will allow children of all ages to use their imaginations to become a community helper for a day and help them get a glimpse of a day in the life of an EMT," said Marian King, CEO of the Greensboro Children's Museum.
Debbie Miller from Guilford County EMS conducted a program at the museum in the winter and mentioned that they would love to see an ambulance in the museum.
"We were immediately on board and wrote a formal request, and EMS took it through the channels to the County Commissioners," King said.
The ambulance on display is being retired from the EMS fleet. Daren Nunn with Guilford County Emergency Services said vehicles are generally retired at 300,000 miles, and the ambulance given to the museum had been transporting since 2005 and has 313,244 miles. It is estimated to have transported 26,000 patients.
The museum is moving around a few vehicles to make room for the ambulance.
The ambulance was available for visitors to experience on Thursday but will be closed temporarily while it's refurbished, returning for everyone's enjoyment June 30. The museum will use many of the functions of the ambulance, including lights, a muffled siren, medical equipment and patient stretcher, to make it as interactive as possible.
King said the museum is looking forward to hosting additional safety days and providing program opportunities.
"Having safety vehicles for children to explore helps to take away some of the fear," King said. "We can help the children learn that the people who work and arrive on these vehicles are friends and helpers."
Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at (336) 574-5582.
Copyright 2014 - News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
