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Anyone can look at pictures of a fire truck or police cruiser in a book, on the Web or on the street. But a group of children from the Spring Knolls Cooperative Learning Center in Silver Spring got a chance to climb all over the vehicles last week in a truck-touch event intended as an educational experience that builds relationships between youngsters and the county officials who drive the vehicles.

Highlights of the event, held May 20 behind Woodside United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, included demonstrations and hands-on lectures from county firefighters, police and two mounted police officers from the Maryland-National Capital Park Police and their horses, according to Spring Knolls Director Fern Chamberlain.

"We greatly appreciate the community coming out," she said. "It's a great learning opportunity for the kids. It's one thing to see the trucks in a book, it's a whole lot different to be able to climb all over them."

Students were given the opportunity to explore the vehicles used by police, the fire department and other county service departments at the outdoor event from 10 a.m. to noon, according to Chamberlain.

Spring Knolls, a cooperative, family-run nursery school for pre-kindergarteners, also arranged for an ice cream truck to supply students with dessert before the fire trucks arrived for the big finale, according to Sherry Russell, a parent volunteer at Spring Knolls.

"He was handing out ice cream faster than he could breathe," she said with a laugh, adding that the chance for kids to meet police and fire officials in a non-emergency setting was important to building positive relationships between students and county officials.

"In real life, it's not so fun when you see these people," she said. "In an era of budget cuts, this is a really critical thing for them to come out to an elementary school to share their knowledge."

The event also featured a dump truck and tractor from county parks maintenance, and for the first year at Spring Knolls, a Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission truck, according to WSSC spokesman John C. White.

"We think it's good to introduce young people to some of what we do and to educate them about some of the equipment we use in providing water and sewer services," he said.