Wednesday, October 24, 2001
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Wednesday, October 24, 2001 |
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Risk Watch teaching kids to stay safe By JOHN
MUNFORD
Local elementary school children are getting a solid safety education thanks to a special program conducted once a month by local volunteers. The Risk Watch program, implemented last year at Spring Hill Elementary by Fayette County Safe Kids, is also at Oak Grove Elementary this year. Recently, students learned about motor vehicle safety including tips on wearing seat belts. Other topics to be covered include fire and burn prevention, poisoning prevention, firearms injury prevention. And the staples, water safety and bike safety, will also be covered. The program, which was developed by the National Fire Protection Association, was implemented with financial support from the Allstate Foundation, which is a founding sponsor, and the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia. Rick Ryckeley, a volunteer helping with the program, said it focuses on reducing the number one killer of children under 14 years old accidental injuries. "Those are preventable injuries," Ryckeley said. The program brings together others such as bike rodeos, water safety and other prevention programs which used to be taught separately, Ryckeley said. Now, the classes are taught according to the curriculum developed by national safety experts. Students are tested before and after the lessons to determine their grasp of the skills taught. Teachers and school personnel help out not only by supporting the program, but by wearing special T-shirts the day of the program to make sure all the kids get "geared up" for their Risk Watch presentation, Ryckeley said. The teachers also attended a day-long workshop on Risk Watch, he added. Plans are to phase in three schools per year in the near future, meaning all elementary schools will be covered by the program in 2004. Each year, unintentional injuries kill more than 7,000 children and permanently disable more than 50,000 youngsters more than drugs and disease combined. One in four victims is injured seriously enough to require medical attention.
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