Spectators watch as members of the Marshall Fire Department use tools to cut away the roof of a Mini Cooper in a mock crash demonstration Tuesday.

MARSHALL — The sun was beating down on Independence Park on Tuesday afternoon, but that didn’t stop Marshall families from gathering for games, food and demonstrations from emergency responders.

Attendance at Marshall’s National Night Out was thinner than in previous years.

“We weren’t surprised, with the heat and humidity,” said Marshall Public Safety Director Jim Marshall.

Temperatures in Marshall got into the upper 90s on Tuesday.

“But we’re still having a nice steady crowd,” he said.

National Night Out is an event meant to build community and give local residents a chance to get to know emergency responders like police, firefighters, and EMTs. Marshall’s event included a display of emergency vehicles, information booths, games for kids and safety demonstrations. A crowd gathered around to watch the Marshall Fire Department use tools to take the doors off vehicles in a mock crash.

On one stretch of sidewalk, people were pedaling a cart through an obstacle course of traffic cones. Elliot Hoppe and Decker Pollock each tried riding the tricycle through the course normally, and then with special goggles meant to simulate the influence of alcohol.

“It looks really weird,” Hoppe called out.

He wasn’t able to keep from running over some of the cones, and neither was Pollock. It was hard to ride with the goggles on, the boys said.

“It made me dizzy,” Pollock said.

“I was seeing two of everything. I had to figure out which one was real,” Hoppe said.

Among the trucks, vans and police vehicles visitors could see was an Emergency Response Vehicle from the American Red Cross. Paul Ristau and Marilee Thomas explained the Red Cross vehicles can be called out to help with disaster response around the country. Inside the back of the vehicle was a row of insulated containers that could be used to bring food to disaster areas.

Ristau said Red Cross volunteers were providing fire safety information at National Night Out, but also raising awareness of what the organization does.

“We’re showing people that the Red Cross is here,” Ristau said.

“We would love to get more volunteers,” Thomas said. Thomas and fellow volunteer Yvonne Girard work to teach emergency preparedness to children at schools around Lyon County.

“We really encourage them to work with their families and come up with a plan,” Thomas said.

Preparedness planning includes emergencies such as house fires, tornadoes, or floods.

Jim Marshall said National Night Out was something the Marshall Police Department looks forward to each year.

“This is one thing we can do to try and give back to the community,” Marshall said.

By meeting the public and helping to serve meals at the event, MPD officers were helping to build that community, he said. “It’s important we do this.”