| Children learn the do’s and don’ts of safety |
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| Wednesday, 24 June 2009 | ||
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Staff writer The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office saturated young students with information on how to take care of themselves over the course of a two-day safety camp.
Laura Landes, crime prevention coordinator for the sheriff’s office, said they choose that age range because these kids are starting to venture out on their own, are not always under supervision, they are still eager to learn and they need to be constantly reminded of safety measures. Just under 150 campers participated, which is similar to previous years. The maximum students allowed in the program is 150. The students learned how to be safe around dogs and other animals, around the water and on the Internet. Don Bania Jr. is a quadriplegic who demonstrated drawing with his mouth. He also talked to the students about what they can do to protect themselves now and in the future from head and spinal cord injuries by buckling up in the car in case you get into an accident, not driving under the influence of alcohol, knowing how deep the water is you are diving into and wearing a helmet when biking or rollerblading. Kristy Kmit, a registered nurse (RN) in trauma services at Mercy Hospital, also emphasized how important wearing a helmet is. She showed students how thin a skull is and she demonstrated on a volunteer how to safely secure a helmet on your head. On Friday, the students got their own helmets to take home. They learned how to treat fire with respect and about the danger of drugs and how they should call 911 if there is an emergency. A couple of new classes were outdoor safety and personal safety. A staff person from the Anoka County Parks Department talked with students about what they should do if they are lost in a park, what to do if inclement weather is approaching and what to do if an animal approaches you. Heidi Geiss, program coordinator for Youth First Community of Promise, broached difficult subjects with students in the personal safety class. Landes said most abuse victims know the perpetrator, so Geiss talked with students about what is appropriate and inappropriate touching between adults and children. Safety camp is more than adults lecturing kids. The students were able to have a ball Wednesday afternoon at a dance and in the Andover YMCA pool when they were not learning about pool safety. Andover resident Rich Wieber once again performed a bicycle stunt show for the kids just before lunch on Tuesday. The instructors also kept the presentations very visual and fun activities were integrated in lessons. After Kmit talked to the students, they were able to run a race that had healthy living challenges along the way. Eric Hagen is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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