PARMA, Ohio — Every summer for decades, there has been a week-long kindergarten safety training event in Parma where local agencies teach kids the basic safety rules.
But it’s not happening this year due to a lack of resources.
So, the local school district put together a smaller event designed to have the same big impact.
The first ever Parma City School District Safety Town Blitz 2021 is about to begin! 400 incoming district kindergartners and first graders will learn all about safety from local first responders today as they rotate through 9 stations 🚒🚔🚍@ParmaSchools @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/FLdYMVql7U
— Micaela Marshall (@MMarshallTV) July 26, 2021
It was called the “Parma City School District Safety Town Blitz.” The first-ever event had 400 incoming kindergarteners and first graders signed up to rotate through nine different stations to learn all things safety from local first responders.
Sgt. John Porec of the Parma Police Department helped organize the event.
“I’ve got three kids of my own so I’m kind of a pro at this,” he said.
Porec was one of the many helpers at the Safety Town Blitz. Other officials from the Parma Police Department, Parma Fire Department, Southwest Enforcement Bureau Bomb Squad, and RTA were there too.
The little ones learned things they need to know in order to be prepared for the school year, like how to ride a school bus. They also learned things they need to know in order to be prepared for life, like how to ride a RTA bus.
Transit police created child IDs with a recent picture, eye color, height, weight and thumbprint included.
It’s all part of “Operation Kidwatch,” a program that promotes safety and believes having a child ID may come in handy in case of an emergency.
“That’s important for us to start our investigation should a child go missing,” said Porec.
Safety Town hammered in staples like “stop, drop and roll” and “stranger danger” as kids earned stamps for their “Safety Town Passport.”
“Not all strangers are bad. But sometimes they are bad. In real life and in our games,” one Parma police officer explained to a group of children.
Porec said some of the most important lessons were learned at the bicycle and pedestrian safety station.
“Kids all summer long are riding their bikes, crossing the street. This is the most important aspect of it for sure,” he said.
Firefighters showed off the fire truck and fire gear while going over some fire safety tips. The bomb squad introduced the kids to a drone and robot while reviewing firework safety rules.
“We don’t touch them, right? We leave them alone,” said an officer from the Southwest Enforcement Bureau Bomb Squad.
Those same rules apply for guns.
This event also served as a way to familiarize kids with safety forces in an effort to help them understand that police are meant to protect and serve.
Porec said explaining basic safety “dos and don’ts” early on better prepares children for the road ahead.
“These young men and women are our future and we lead by example,” said Porec.
