[ back ]
Safety comes first for kindergarten program
(by Joan Demirjian - August 11, 2010)
Safety comes first for kindergarten program
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Children gathered around Bainbridge police officer Jon Weiner and the department's search dog, Tango, as they made their presentation at the Chagrin Falls Safety Town program.
The program continued this week at Gurney Elementary School in South Russell.
Mr. Weiner told how Tango helps the Bainbridge Police Department, as well as other police departments, especially with searches.
Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland introduced his dog, Midge, a cross between a Chihuahua and a rat terrier. She is the world's smallest police dog, he said. "She goes to work every day and is very happy. She's my best buddy."
South Russell police officer Mike Cardaman, "Officer Mike," to the children, has conducted the program for five years. The children are entering kindergarten.
Chagrin Falls police officer Scott Safenovitz oversees the program.
This year's program has 85 children from the Chagrin Falls School District. "It's packed for two weeks," he said of the attendance.
Volunteers, many Kenston school students in seventh through 12th grades, help keep watch over the children.
"They are a key part of the program," Mr. Cardaman said.
The traffic safety includes walking safely in crosswalks and even use of lights at night.
If they are in a parking lot, and if the white reverse lights of a car go on, they are taught to stop and get away because the car might be backing up, Mr. Cardaman said.
There is a miniature town in the front of the school. The children ride donated cars that were custom painted by KEI Carbody and Mechanical, of South Russell.
They display the names of the Chagrin Falls and South Russell police departments, Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Chagrin Falls Fire Department.
While traffic safety always has been the mainstay of Safety Town, children learn about a variety of other safety issues, including when and how to make 911 emergency calls.
They can practice making 911 calls on special equipment at the program, which gives them pointers on when to make the calls and what to tell the police dispatcher.
They learn about poisons, and the Geauga Park District sends a naturalist to talk about plants and what not to eat, and about insects and wild animals. Rangers also teach about park safety.
"Eddie Eagle" talks about gun safety. The children are taught to "Stop, don't touch" if they ever come across a gun. "Leave the area and tell an adult," they are taught.
Children learn about possible hazards involving electrical appliances.
Since some have never ridden a school bus, they are taken for a ride and are introduced to school-bus etiquette.
On another day, the Chagrin Falls Fire Department fire-safety equipment is brought in for the children to see. "We cover everything," Mr. Cardaman said of the fire drills. He is assistant fire chief of the Auburn Fire Department.
Drills involving "tricky" strangers are of high importance.
Mr. Safenovitz said they call people with evil intentions not strangers, but "tricky people.
"Most people who hurt children are not strangers," Mr. Safenovitz said. "Ninety percent of the time, it's someone they know."
As an example, he said, someone working at a child's home, like a plumber, may approach the child somewhere else and tell the child he has permission to take the child home.
The child knows the person and he is not a stranger. Mr. Safenovitz tells them they can't always tell who the bad people are.
In reviewing what they had learned so far, he asked them to show him what they learned if they are approached by someone who says they will take the child home. They yell at the person to "Stop! Your not my Mom or Your Not My Dad," and they run and scream to attract attention.
Mr. Safenovitz asked them if medicine can be poisonous. "Yes!" they responded in unison.
"I have parents who come up to me and say, their children talk about the program all the time," Mr. Safenovitz said.
"The kids talk about what they learned and take what they learned very seriously," he said.
"It's lessons they learn for their whole life," Mr. Safenovitz said.
As an example, he said, learning about how to call 911 potentially could save a life.
"We try to do what's relevant, and it's sometimes scary for kids, but it's a benefit. And we make it fun," Mr. Safenovitz said.
Children sit on the gymnasium floor for some of the talks as with Tango and Midge. They are frequently given a few minutes to play and work off their energy.
The Chagrin Valley Jaycees pay for all the programs and the T-shirts the kids wear.
"It's one of the top Safety Towns around," Mr. Cardaman said. "What we have is unique. "If it saves one life, it is worth it," he said. "It is very rewarding," he said of the positive feedback from children and their parents.
"We take pride in the program," Mr. Safenovitz said. It requires a lot of preparation, but it is worth it, he said.
Chagrin Falls Safety Town is one of several programs held by area police departments and in many cases they work together, Mr. Cardaman said.
The Bainbridge Police Department recently completed its Safety Town, with three sessions a day, led by Keith Kotab. Bainbridge Police Officer Brian Reardon represents the police department at the program.
[ back ]
