In community safety education, finding cost-effective ways to engage audiences—especially students—and inspire future first responders is a constant challenge. For Ted Sparks, Director of Logan County 911, this challenge became an opportunity to innovate when his team integrated Meshy into their unfunded 911 outreach program.
What followed was a transformation in how they deliver safety education, connect with the community, and lay the groundwork for career interest in Fire, Police, and EMS fields. Below, Ted shares his experience, outcomes, and vision for the future of Meshy in community and educational initiatives.
"I believe Meshy has incredible potential in education. They allow us to create custom, engaging learning tools at a fraction of the cost, making education more accessible and interactive for students."
Ted Sparks
Director of Logan County 911
What motivated you to use Meshy in Logan County 911's outreach program?
Our 911 outreach program is unfunded, so we've always had to find creative ways to stretch our resources while still meeting our core goals: promoting 911 awareness, getting schools and civic organizations involved, and recruiting young people for careers in Fire, Police, and EMS.
A big part of our work involves visiting 18 schools in the county to teach kids about safety—and we've always given students small takeaway items to reinforce those lessons, so they can share what they learn with their families at home.
But those reminder items were getting too costly; our budget was so limited that we were at risk of scaling back that part of the program. That's when we turned to Meshy. We needed a tool that could help us create engaging, meaningful content without breaking the bank—and Meshy checked every box.
How did you integrate Meshy into the outreach program, and who benefits from it?
Meshy became the backbone of our content creation process. Our team uses it two key ways: first, to make graphic videos that bring safety lessons to life. Second, we use it to design 3D models that we turn into physical handouts—think small, safety-themed trinkets—using 3D printable plastics.
The best part? We have volunteers print those 3D materials for us, which cuts down on costs even more. While students don't use Meshy directly themselves, they're the ones reaping the rewards: they get fresh, fun models and videos that make safety education feel less like “schoolwork” and more like an engaging activity.
It's not just kids, either—adults we meet at community events love the new content too; it's a great conversation starter about 911 awareness.
What outcomes has Meshy helped you achieve so far?
The impact has been huge—Meshy didn't just help us stay within budget; it made our program stronger. Before, we were stuck choosing between cutting back on takeaways or compromising on quality. Now, we can give every child a meaningful takeaway and keep our content fresh—all at no additional cost.
The feedback from students has been incredibly positive. They love the new models, and we make sure to ask for their input: What kind of models do they want to see next? How can those models tie into emergency services? That feedback is invaluable because it makes the program feel like theirs—they're not just learning; they're helping shape how we teach. For us, that's how you build long-term engagement with safety education.
Beyond that, Meshy has become a cost-effective, innovative tool that extends our program's reach. We're not just teaching kids—we're educating families, too, because those takeaways spark conversations at home. That directly supports our mission of sharing lifesaving knowledge with as many people as possible.
How do you see tools like Meshy impacting students' creativity and learning experience?
Tools like Meshy have the power to change how kids engage with learning—especially when it comes to topics like safety, which can feel serious or scary. By giving them hands-on access to 3D models (even if they're not designing them themselves), we're exposing them to design and technology in a way that's relatable.
When a student holds a 3D-printed model that ties to a safety lesson, they're not just remembering a fact—they're connecting that fact to something tangible. And when we ask for their input on future models?
We're empowering them to bring their ideas to life. That fosters a deeper understanding of emergency services and encourages innovative thinking. Who knows—maybe one of those kids will see a 3D model of a fire truck or ambulance and think, “I want to work in that field someday.” That's exactly the kind of spark we're trying to ignite.
What are your future plans for using Meshy in the program?
We're just getting started. We've only scratched the surface of what Meshy can do, and we're excited to explore its potential further. Right now, we're focused on expanding the types of 3D models we create—we want to make more items that tie to specific safety themes, like natural disaster preparedness or stranger danger. We also want to experiment with more graphic videos, maybe even short, animated stories that follow kids navigating emergency situations.
Long term, we hope to keep growing the program's reach—maybe partner with more civic organizations or host community workshops where families can learn about 911 safety together, using Meshy-created content. The goal is to keep making safety education accessible, interactive, and fun—and Meshy will be right there with us to make that happen.
Final thoughts: Why would you recommend Meshy to other organizations doing similar work?
For any group working on community outreach or education—especially those with limited budgets—Meshy is a game-changer. It lets you create custom, high-quality content without the high cost, and it gives you the flexibility to adapt to what your audience needs.
At the end of the day, our job is to keep people safe—and to do that, we need to meet them where they are. Meshy helps us do that by making safety education engaging, inclusive, and memorable. We couldn't have done it without it.
