The Indianola Police and Fire Departments in conjunction with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office held their annual Public Safety Night Open House Thursday, welcoming the public to visit with public safety personnel, as well as learn about fire safety. Indianola Fire Captain Thad White tells KNIA News the department is stressing the safety of preventing cooking fires this year, as they have seen a rise of those over the last several years.

Indianola Police Department Detective Nicole Brown tells KNIA News nights like the Public Safety Open House night are important because of the positive interactions with the community.

“A lot of times we deal with people on their worst days or some of the worst times of their lives. So being able to interact with people from the community in a different light is something we enjoy a lot. We are big on community policing, and anytime that we can interact with the community in a lighter setting and have some fun is something that we really enjoy doing.”

The Indianola Noon Lions were on location grilling hot dogs and providing food for the event.