“Shop With a Cop,” 2016. It’s gonna sound a lot like this soon.

If you’re anywhere in the vicinity of downtown Eureka, in a few minutes you’re gonna hear like a million emergency vehicles blaring their sirens like mad, and primed by yesterday’s earthquake you’ll naturally think that there’s some sort of fresh hell underway.

But no. This is only the annual SHOP WITH A COP event, back again after the pandemic put a dent in the festivities last year. This is when various first-responding agencies take some local kids in need out shopping for Christmas presents.

Lots of local businesses and nonprofits and others kick in for this event, which usually includes a hot breakfast, and, of course, a ride in a police car or fire engine or ambulance, which has to be done in style, of course — every switch in the rig flipped on, and to maximum volume.

The loud part of the event is scheduled to get going at around 8:45 a.m., and the procession will thread through Old Town and Downtown before arriving at Target. The world is not ending.