2018 National Night Out set for Aug. 7

Hoover’s 2018 National Night Out event, which is designed to promote police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, is scheduled for Aug. 7 at The Grove shopping center.

The event, part of a nationwide effort led by the National Association of Town Watch, is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Hoover Police Department will have its mobile command center on site and numerous specialty units, including the bomb squad with its bomb robot, K-9 unit, special response tactical team, dive team and motorcycle unit, which will do maneuver demonstrations, said Jehad Al-Dakka, the department’s executive officer.

The Hoover Masonic Lodge No. 644 also will bring its child identification equipment so police officers can make child ID kits for parents that include their children’s name, photograph, fingerprints, physical description and identifying marks in case a child ever goes missing, Al-Dakka said.

The Hoover Fire Department plans to have fire trucks and equipment on display, and typically there are numerous antique fire vehicles there as well, said Erin Colbaugh, the city of Hoover’s events coordinator.

Other agencies, such as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Army National Guard, also frequently attend Hoover’s National Night Out, but their attendance will depend on availability, Colbaugh said. The event also includes a few inflatables, a car show, food trucks and several exhibitors, she said.

It’s a good opportunity for people to interact with law enforcement and other public safety agencies in a non-stressful environment and give them a chance to see some of the many tools that are used to keep their community safe, officials said.

Hoover police Chief Nick Derzis estimated 5,000 to 6,000 people attended last year’s National Night Out gathering in Hoover.