Police officers gave out treats, candy, and hugs on Oct. 6 during National Night Out, an annual event that brings law enforcement, firefighters, and community members together to build friendships and promote safety.
“Sometimes we just see people on their worst day,” explained SMU police sergeant and day shift supervisor for patrol Debbie Hardin. “We don’t just want to answer calls when something bad has happened. We also want to support them on a daily basis.”
Since the first National Night Out was held in 1984, the campaign has grown to include thousands of communities in every state. The event is held in most of the country in August, though Texas celebrates in cooler weather on the first Tuesday in October.
The festivities at SMU featured dorm burns certain to dissuade students from leaving candles unattended, especially if they live in buildings without sprinklers.
The first small blaze University Park firefighters lit quickly engulfed a mock dorm, which was complete with trash, crumpled papers, and an unmade bed. The second fire stayed small thanks to a sprinkler head. The sprinklers are standard equipment in buildings on campus at SMU, explained University Park fire marshal Marty Corn.
“It’s just really fast, how it’ll devastate the room,” 2026 SMU graduate Glen Owens said after watching the burn, adding that he would follow the fire marshal’s advice to exit in the event of a fire.
The fun didn’t end after University Park firefighters extinguished the blaze. Cheerleaders entertained the crowd, guests dined on barbecue favorites, lucky winners received raffle prizes, and SMU’s pony mascot, Peruna, challenged youngsters to games of rock, paper, scissors.
Mason McCallum and his 2-year-old son, Jason, got behind the wheel of a fire truck. Jason is a fan of both Spider Man and public safety officers, his dad explained.
“We talk to him all the time about the fire department and police department,” Mason said. “My wife’s a nurse, and getting to see and touch and feel an actual fire truck — just that association at this age is cool.”
Jessie Farberg’s four children also stayed busy exploring the equipment.
“These guys are in love with fire trucks,” Farberg said. “It’s the perfect way to learn about fire safety and see some trucks and get to play inside and meet the guys. I don’t think we’ll leave this area for a while.”
SMU police sergeant Hardin added that officers’ support of community well-being won’t end on National Night Out. SMU police and their public safety partners are also involved in initiatives such as Blue Goes Pink, which hosts an annual 5K and Community Safety Fair with the aim of raising cancer awareness.
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