The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department showcased its newest tool to spread safety lessons for both children and adults.

Workers adapted a 20-year-old fire truck into an interactive public-education rig. Department and city officials unveiled it during a news conference Friday at Fire Station 12, 3435 Chase St. in North Toledo.

The truck is emblazoned with various fire-safety tips, with colorful graphics regarding “stop, drop, and roll,” the importance of properly tested smoke alarms, and the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Fire Chief Luis Santiago said he envisions the truck in service at parks, schools, and senior centers to reach the public.

“It kind of sets the tone for what we’re trying to accomplish. Kids will naturally be drawn to it, and what’s nice about it is just about every panel of the truck has a safety message,” Chief Santiago said.

The truck previously logged about 166,000 miles for the department. Aging vehicles typically transition into backup equipment. Older rigs like this one, however, are often traded in or dismantled for salvage, Chief Santiago said.

Restoration work, including paint and decals, cost about $5,000. The department plans to use it this weekend, Chief Santiago said.

In her remarks, Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson said the truck is a valuable contribution to the city’s outreach efforts. It serves as an educational and visual “toy” that can better provide important safety lessons, she said.

Dennis Kookoothe, the department’s public educator, said the vehicle will be stocked with different materials to distribute depending on the event.

Images on the side displaying firefighters’ different roles could also aid recruitment, he said.

“If you don’t see it going down the road, please give your keys to somebody, because you shouldn’t be driving,” he said.

Contact Ryan Dunn at: rdunn@theblade.com, 419-724-6095, or on Twitter @rdunnblade.

First Published April 22, 2017, 4:00 a.m.