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They’re there to help, but emergency personnel can be scary.

They have uniforms adorned with all sorts of equipment. Sometimes, they’re wearing masks.

To someone with special needs, that sight can be scary.

And those emergency personnel may not know a person has special needs, such as being non-verbal.

An event sponsored by Davie County Schools and Wake Forest Baptist Health Davie Medical Center hopes to help both sides understand each other better.

Last week, students from every exceptional children class in the county went to the hospital parking lot, where they could interact in a sensory friendly environment with police officers, firefighters, EMTs, rescue squad personnel and more.

“It is training for first responders in dealing with students who could present a challenge,” said Sara Davis, Davie High exceptional children’s teacher.

“Some of our students are non-verbal … and they all get practice seeing the vehicle lights, the sounds.”

Students are taught these things in the classroom, including deciding what is and is not an emergency, but the event helps them to understand what could happen.

While it had a serious purpose, Davis loved seeing the emergency personnel and the students having fun together.

It could save a life.