Rolling up to the Early Childhood Education Center, a ladder from one of the Salt River Fire Department fire engines stood tall in the sky.

Then came the honks, beeps and engine roars from the vehicles at Big Wheel Day on January 26, which brought joy to the many enrolled ECEC children, their families and staff members. Vehicles from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s police, fire and public works departments were on display in the parking lot for visitors to explore.

ECEC staff safely escorted groups of children from vehicle to vehicle, letting them experience the different sights and sounds, as well as sitting behind the wheel of a variety of trucks.

“Our event is to help facilitate experiences for our students. We are an Early Head Start program, and children have a curriculum that they are learning, a six-week course on transportation and roads,” said Carmen Briones, family involvement specialist at ECEC. “As we come together and wrap up that curriculum and learning, we have the Salt River Fire Department, Salt River Police Department and other Community departments on hand to provide those real hands-on experiences for our students.”

Other vehicles spotlighted that day included a tow truck from RezHawk Towing, a school bus, a four-wheel off-road vehicle and a John Deere tractor.