What could have been a crushing disappointment instead turned into a memorable surprise Saturday for two Florence, Kentucky youngsters after none of their invited guests came to their birthday party.

The boys, 3 and 5 years old, were ready for the swim party. Six boxes of pizza going mostly uneaten underneath birthday decorations already had Traci Habana's attention as she enjoyed the pool with her family at the Columns on Wetherington apartment complex. She wondered where the guests were as the adults sat and waited and waited.

Then someone from the birthday party came over and offered Habana's children some of the pizza.

None of the 10 children invited to the party were there, she said. Habana's family sang "Happy Birthday" to the family she didn't know.

"It kind of broke my heart, you know, it was kind of like that Mom moment," Habana said.

Then she had an idea. So she called Florence police's non-emergency line and asked if the department could send an officer on a mission to cheer up the children.

About 10 minutes later more than a dozen first-responders paraded in, Habana said.

"I've got some really great guys," said Police Chief Tom Grau. "Sgt. (Chris) Billiter spearheaded it when they got the call."

Michael La'Bor, father of the boys, said he knew ahead of time throwing child birthday parties was harder in the summer.

"But when not one person was able to make it, as a father it hurt because I felt like I didn't do enough to get other kids there for them to enjoy it," La'Bor said.

The family was packing up to leave when Habana approached them and asked if it would be OK to try and get a police officer there to make the day special, he said.

"It hit me in my heart that a stranger would do that," La'Bor said.

His oldest son can't stop talking about the police and firefighters' visit, he said.

"It was truly amazing and a day none of us will ever forget," La'Bor said.

Habana's Facebook video of the day showed first responders placing plastic red firefighter hats on the two children's heads.

"It just keeps getting better and better," said one woman heard on the video.

One of the two children clutched a teddy bear police had delivered while wearing Batman swim trunks and a life vest as police and firefighters sang "Happy Birthday," Habana said.

A police officer asked the boys if they wanted to go look at the police cars and fire truck 101 from the Florence Fire Department.

"I'll trade you, you can have my cruiser, and I'll swim," said one of the officers. Another officer said trading for poolside duty wasn't going to happen.

“I’m proud of those guys for doing that, I’m sure it probably made those kids’ day,” said Florence police Capt. Greg Rehkamp of the birthday party response.

Firefighters on shift Saturday in Florence didn't alert Chief Scott Knoll that anything special had happened.

Knoll found out later that a special birthday surprise did happen for the two boys.

"I just think it speaks volumes of the kind of people we have here," Knoll said.