POLAND — Willow Moyer may not have yet mastered placing the right numbers in the right order, but at least she has the right numbers in mind.

“One-nine-nine,” Willow, 5, of Poland, said when asked what numbers to call in the event of an emergency.

Nevertheless, she was among the children who learned the correct basics of fire safety and handling related emergencies, courtesy of the Western Reserve Joint Fire District, one of the vendors that made up Saturday’s 14th annual Celebrate Poland event at Village Hall, 308 S. Main St.

The all-day family-friendly gathering was to celebrate Poland Village, which was established in 1802 and incorporated in 1866, when it was a small hamlet that was home to a few hundred residents. The village has more than 100 historic homes built before 1900, as well as a business district many say hearkens to its early days.

In addition, the event was in memory of former police Chief Russell D. Beatty, who died unexpectedly Aug. 28 at his home. Beatty, who also headed the village’s road department, was 62.

“She loves fire trucks; she’s always talking about fire safety,” Willow’s mother, Helena, said, adding that she has eight to 10 toy trucks.

The family frequently goes camping, including a recent trip to Cook Forest in Pennsylvania, and Willow knows to pour water or other liquid over a fire to ensure it’s fully extinguished before leaving the campsite. In addition, she is familiar with the piercing sound of a smoke detector in the family’s home, and knows to get out of the house if it sounds, her father, Josh, added.

“We tell kids, ‘Don’t play with matches or lighters, check your smoke detector or call the fire department to get one,'” said Bill O’Hara, a fire prevention officer with the Joint Fire District, who also teaches fire safety in the Poland schools.

The WRJFD also had on hand a slew of safety tips, such as dropping to the ground, repeatedly rolling and straightening the legs if one’s clothes catch fire; never touching a hot door during a fire; keeping low to avoid smoke inhalation; periodically practicing exit drills, with at least two escape routes; and placing smoke detectors where everyone in the home can hear them.

With safety in mind, Brett Sweitzer of Flinton, Pa., surrounded himself with wire mesh while using a chainsaw to carve a rendering of a bald eagle into a tree stump.

Sweitzer, who runs a business called B&T Chainsaw Carvings, had several pumpkin and other autumn- and Halloween-themed carvings that he had painted and sold at the event. Sweitzer specializes in carving renderings of a variety of animals and birds, he said.

“They wanted a carver here, but my parents already were booked, so they asked us,” said Sweitzer’s wife, Tiffany, whose parents, Benjamin and Melinda Rannels, are master carvers.

The couple also brought their children, Adalynn, 2, and Raiden, 4 months.

Also brought to the event was a wide array of horses, goats, chickens and other animals that were part of a petting zoo, much to the delight of siblings Brayden and Brooklyn Nohe of Poland, 3 and 4, respectively.

“They rode the ponies and ate french fries and played games,” their mother, Krystal, said, adding that the children also are animal lovers.

Another form of entertainment many attendees of all ages enjoyed was a Poland Idol Contest in which contestants offered their renditions of songs crossing several genres as a three-judge panel rated their performances on pitch, style, phrasing, diction and presentation.

“She’s my go-to artist,” Breanna Clinton of Hubbard said, referring to pop star Adele.

As a result, Clinton, 21, provided her interpretation of Adele’s 2011 hit “Turning Tables,” and received plenty of praise from the judges for her performance.

“It’s one of her older songs,” Clinton added.

Plenty of merchandise was for sale, such as costume jewelry, scented soaps, baseball cards and baked goods.

The Celebrate Poland schedule and additional festivities included miniature golf, a walking tour along South Main Street, a pumpkin decorating contest, sidewalk chalk drawing, a parade, a book sale, a marketplace, a silent auction and fireworks.

The performers

Poland Idol contestants at Saturday’s Celebrate Poland event included:

• Logan Nicholas

• Jacob Latessa

• Justin Collingwood

• Sean Ripple

• Gary Ripple

• Suzi Patterson

• Breanna Clinton

• Bob Noble

• Ann Porter