Activities abound at the San Bernardino County Museum on Saturday, May 19. Lights! Sirens! Safety! is scheduled in the museum’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Inside the museum, Museum Director Robert McKernan will give a presentation about birds of the lower Colorado River at 2:00 p.m. Students from the CSUSB Chemistry Club will hold a Chemistry Fair and Public Works Week will be celebrated in conjunction with the County Department of Public Works, both from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lights! Sirens! Safety! is free; all other activities are included with museum general admission.

Lights Sirens Safety
Once a year the parking lot at the county museum is filled with fire trucks, ambulances, police and sheriff cruisers and motorcycles, service dogs, and more as visitors are invited to meet the emergency crews that help keep us safe. At Lights! Sirens! Safety! visitors will meet emergency and service personnel, climb aboard emergency vehicles, inspect equipment, and watch demonstrations. McGruff, Smokey, and Sparky will join the excitement.

Agencies represented (all subject to emergency calls) include the San Bernardino County Sheriff, San Bernardino County Fire, San Manuel Fire, American Medical Response, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Redlands Fire Department, San Bernardino Sheriff Search and Rescue, San Bernardino County Probation, Greencrest Energy Solutions, San Bernardino County Code Enforcement, San Bernardino Unified School District Police, the Mt. Baldy Ski Patrol, and the San Bernardino County Department of Public Works

San Bernardino County Animal Control will bring dogs and cats for adoption: the $25 adoption fee includes spaying/neutering and vaccinations. . Hands-on fire extinguisher training will be offered by San Bernardino and Riverside County fire personnel. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. Lights! Sirens! Safety! runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free in the museum’s parking lot.

Public Works: Creating a Lasting Impression
Museum visitors can join employees from the San Bernardino County Department of Public Works to recognize National Public Works Week with hands-on exploration and demonstrations in the museum’s courtyard. Create a glider, build a toothpick bridge, explore with the storm drain robot, find yourself with the county surveyor, and recycle with Solid Waste Management. Bring your camera for photo opportunities with a giant snowblower. Activities, included with paid museum admission, start at 11 a.m. and continue to 5 p.m.

Started by the American Public Works Association in 1960, National Public Works Week is a celebration of the tens of thousands of men and women in North America who provide and maintain the infrastructure and services collectively known as Public Works. APWA’s theme this year is “Public Works: creating a lasting impression.”

Chemistry Fair
Students from the Chemistry Club at California State University San Bernardino will be in the museum courtyard from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to help visitors conduct safe, supervised chemistry experiments. Children and adults can try playing with liquid nitrogen, solubility testing, making lip balm, frolicking in the density playground, conducting a mini CSI investigation, and, best of all … Slime! All these activities are included with paid museum admission.

Birds of the Lower Colorado River
Ornithologist and Museum Director Robert L. McKernan will give a talk and lead a gallery walk in the Life in the Air galleries as he discusses “birds of the lower Colorado River.” The presentation, which includes data from recent County Museum research on endangered bird species and habitats along the lower Colorado, starts at 2:00 and is included with paid museum admission.

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 am to 5pm. General admission is $8 (adult), $6 (military or senior), $5 (student), and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sb countymuseum.org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.