For the children of employees of the Bordentown Township municipality, mom or dad’s workday on April 25 entailed only excitement and fun when the township’s first responders were the host to the second annual “Take Your Child to Work Day.”
The event was held at the Township Senior Center, where the youths of parents/guardians and other family members of the township’s police and fire departments, EMS and animal control were treated to a morning a fun games, interactive activities, informational demonstrations and prize giveaways.
The morning’s activities included a K-9 demonstration from the Township Police Department as well as tours of the station, work vehicles, ambulance, fire trucks and more.
For Bordentown Township Police Chief Brian Pesce, the event’s aim was to help alleviate the stresses of day-to-day work for first responders with an emphasis on fun and family.
“It goes back to trying to create a positive work culture,” Pesce said. “It’s tough being a police officer because you work long hours, long shifts, long weekend, holidays – sometimes you are away from your family, so we want to connect with the officers families.
“We hear about them every day if ‘so-and-so’ had a great soccer game or if someone is going to a good college, so it gives us an opportunity to put a face to the name and see where mom and dad work every day – allows that connection for them. It makes me happy to see the smiles on my officer’s faces that they get to bring their kids here and that they feel comfortable to bring them here, and that they are happy to bring them here,” Pesce added.
Whether the youngsters at the event gained a better understanding behind the equipment and facilities of the township employees or to see their relatives in action outside of the home, Pesce said he felt the event can help grow relationships between family members further instill a sense of value in their parents/guardians.
Not only did Pesce express his fondness of the event’s potential to establish positive connections between the families of the township employees, he explained that there are other positives instilled in the activities as well.
When provided with the opportunity to observe their parents/guardians at work in a supportive environment, Pesce said it could potentially set a precedent for the youth to want to establish themselves in similar work setting too.
“They kids might hear about mom or dad’s day at work, but now they actually get to relate to it because they get to see the people they work with or the equipment they work with,” he said. “It helps them relate to the work stories mom and dad tell when they get home, and it helps them relate better to [their parents] coworkers and our fire and EMS partners.
“We want to show these kids that mom and dad are respected at work. Maybe some of them won’t grow up to be police officers; but ideally, you want them to work in an environment that is similar – that they are valued and respected too. If they walk away with that feeling today, then it’s a win for me,” he added.