Ryan Rossler of the Michigan State Police Post in Iron Mountain has his partner, Nikko, conduct a search during a K-9 demonstration at the 2024 National Night Out. This year’s event will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Center in Aurora, Wis. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

AURORA, Wis. — National Night Out returns Tuesday, giving families a chance to meet local first responders and representatives of other local agencies.

The event, in its sixth year, will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Center in Aurora, Wis. Police, fire and rescue units, other organizations from Florence, Dickinson and Marinette counties and area Department of Natural Resources staff take part in the local event.

It was first brought here by former Florence County Sheriff Dan Miller, according to planning committee member Jenny Nickels of Niagara, Wis.

Nickels had previously worked on a National Night Out event in Marinette, Wis., while in high school in 1994 and was on the committee after she was hired by the Marinette City Police Department in 1998. She volunteered when it started here.

“It’s a free, family event for the entire community to come out and enjoy,” she said.

“It’s a great event,” Niagara Police Chief Michael Chapman said. “It lets families meet local first responders and generally who would be helping them in an emergency situation. They can meet them first-hand.”

Information booths and displays, some featuring games for children, will be spread along the outside parking lots and fields. The Aurora Town Hall will have face painting and building kits from Home Depot. More display tables and free food will be set up inside the gym at NWTC. Other events outside include a helicopter landing, K-9 demonstrations from several local departments, a fire safety house and bounce houses.

Members of the local organizing committee, in addition to Nickels and Chapman, are Angie Moreau, retired Niagara police chief; Teresa Chrisman, Florence County sheriff; Adam Ray, Iron Mountain Police Department; Geno Basanese, Michigan State Police, Iron Mountain Post; and Tracy Daun, a volunteer with the Niagara Area Emergency Unit.

“We’re always looking for some new ideas, but I feel like we’ve reached a point where we have a great committee and everyone knows exactly what their roles are and we just go out an implement them every year,” Nickels said.

The first National Night Out started nationally in 1984.

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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.