Perhaps too many people touched Big Wheel Towing’s massive crane.

Employee Kevin Whittle spent most of the YMCA’s annual Touch-a-Truck event on April 29 helping hundreds of kids up into the driver’s seat of his company’s truck. But an hour into the event, a major attraction was no more, the truck’s powerful horn.

“The kids liked the horn so much it has no more air left,” he said.

Crew and equipment from all three of Dartmouth’s fire districts was also well represented at the event, which encourages kids to explore and take the controls of large trucks and emergency vehicles.

Tim Sylvia showed curious kids District No. 2’s off-road vehicle, which it uses to tackle tough terrain like DNRT trails and thick forests, even showing them how to activate the truck’s emergency lights.

“They really liked the lights,” he said.

An annual event, YMCA staff partnered with a number of community organizations and companies to offer a variety of trucks, from armored Massachusetts State Police trucks, to fire engines, buses, trash trucks, and bucket trucks.

New this year, the YMCA ran the event to coincide with Healthy Kids Day with about 7,200 other YMCA branches across the country.

“It’s about exposing families and kids to healthier lifestyle choices, like eating right and physical activity,” explained Dartmouth YMCA Executive Director Mike Mahoney.

That meant opening up the facility’s climbing wall for demonstrations, cooking classes, and raising awareness of programs and services the organization offers, like its summer vacation camps.

“This free event increases exposure to the YMCA and allows kids and families to have a fun day,” Mahoney said.