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Safety City
Welcome to the Melvin Martin Center for Children's Safety!
Safety City is an educational facility featuring a "child-size" town of miniature buildings, streets, crosswalks, functional traffic lights, sidewalks, a working railroad crossing, and a school bus.
A state-of-the-art fire education center opened in September 2009 that allows firefighters to teach home fire safety, and to fill a room with simulated smoke, allowing children to practice escape plans and gather at a designated meeting location. Construction on a police education building was completed in March 2011. This building houses a new classroom with stadium style seating and interactive learning tools.
Night of Lights at Safety City
Please note Night of Lights will be cancelled December 22 & 23 due to below freezing temperatures and high wind gusts predicted on those days. Please be safe out there and stay warm!
Join the Abilene Fire Department for a Night of Lights at Safety City this holiday season! Come out to meet Santa and Sparky the Fire Dog, tour a fire engine with the firefighters, and walk through our light display, complete with holiday photo opportunities. Admission is free, and so are the cookies & hot chocolate (though donations are accepted).
The Abilene Fire Department, the Abilene Police Department, and the Kiwanis Club of Abilene have committed to making this public event one of the largest Christmas events that is available free of charge!
Night of Lights at Safety City: Media Release
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Last year’s Christmas at Safety City was a huge success and the Abilene Fire Department would like to continue the tradition of making every year more successful than the previous year. This year’s event looks to be even larger as we anticipate increased expectations after such a successful 2021. The Abilene Fire Department, the Abilene Police Department, and the Kiwanis Club of Abilene have committed to making this public event one of the largest Christmas events that is available free of charge. We are asking our media partners to help us promote the 2022, “Night of Lights” at Safety City.
“Night of Lights” will be open to the public December 8th - 10th , 15th - 17th, 22nd and 23rd . On these days Safety City will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The public is encouraged to walk through Safety City's 4 acre property decorated in lights, which includes: Instagram moments, Santa on a 1926 American LaFrance vintage fire engine, Free Admission, Free Hot Chocolate, Cookies and Family Friendly Fun!
Crews, volunteers and fire department administration will be decorating on December 5th and 6th at Safety City. We would love to have any media come out on these days to do a story and get some interviews. Please contact Elise Roberts and we will set up a time and day. Thank you all so much for supporting AFD and Safety City.
About Safety City
Our Curriculum
Safety City’s curriculum is designed to teach our young people to recognize safety hazards found in everyday life and to learn to make wise choices when they are in situations which have the potential to cause them injury or harm. It is open to first and third grade school classes throughout the school year and to individuals, day care centers, recreation centers, church groups, etc. during the summer.
Programs offered include:
- Bicycle safety
- Pedestrian safety
- Fire prevention
- Stranger awareness
Our History
Safety City is operated by the Abilene Police Department, the Abilene Fire Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Construction began on the facility in 1976 with contributions from donors in Abilene and the Big Country on land provided by the City of Abilene. The program began in October of 1981. Today, operations are funded by the City of Abilene with assistance from the Friends of Safety City and generous donors. Approximately 6,000-7,000 children and over 2,000 adults from 27 Texas counties receive programs offered by Safety City yearly. Those 27 counties cover over 26,000 square miles!
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Safety City
Physical Address
2601 S 7th St
Abilene, TX 79605
Mailing Address
PO Box 174
Abilene, TX 79604
Phone (325) 676-6096