The 23rd Security Forces Squadron, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the 23rd Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department educated children at the base Youth Center about fire safety, drug safety and police services, Aug. 3, 2021.

Facilitators of the first-time education day aimed to make it a fun and exciting experience for the children by inviting out LCSO’s McGruff the Crime Dog and giving a military working dog bite demonstration.

McGruff and LCSO officers, Lt. Robert Bair and Dep. Kathy Bair, kicked off the education day with a lesson on feeling safe at home and the importance of telling an adult when something is wrong.

“If somebody’s doing something wrong and you know about it, you need to tell somebody,” said Robert Bair. “Find a trusted adult and get some help; tell them this person is doing a bad thing or this person is doing something wrong.”

Before ending the LCSO tour, Robert and Kathy Bair talked about canine capabilities, their roles in the police force and what they do for police.

LCSO then had the children recite McGruff’s catch phrase, “Take a bite out of crime!”

Senior Airman Daniel Medina and Airman 1st Class Dorian Flagg, 23rd CES firefighters, continued the education day with a fire safety lesson where they taught the children about special tools used for fires, car accidents and other emergencies. The children also had an opportunity to explore the firetruck.

The children ended their education day by watching a military working dog from the 23rd Security Forces Squadron perform tactical maneuvers with their handler.

Together, Moody AFB and the local community continue to educate the youth and ensure they are prepared for challenges they may face in the future.