Washington Township youngsters learn about fire and bicycle
safety.
WASHINGTON — Thanks to a safety day camp held by the Washington
Township Fire Department, at least two dozen local 9- and
10-year-olds will be able to ride their bikes more safely and will
have a better idea of what to do in a fire emergency.
According to firefighter Jason Palmer, who organized the event,
the youngsters are the most likely victims of serious bike accidents
and therefore were targeted for this special camp. This age group
also is "easier to work with and they retain more information,"
added Mr. Palmer.
In addition to bicycle safety instructions and activities, the
children learned about fire safety hazards, highlighted by an
activity in the "fire safety house," which was a trailer set up as
regular house.
"We set up things in the house that were fire hazards and we let
the kids point them out," said Mr. Palmer, who thanked the Manalapan
Safety Bureau for lending the fire safety house to Washington.
Upstairs in the trailer was a heated door where the kids learned
how to feel the door for heat. There was a fire drill where the
house smoked up and the kids learned how to escape through a ladder
and a back sliding door.
Most of the kids said the fire safety house was their favorite
activity.
"It was fun being in the fire safety trailer and getting to learn
how to escape fire," said Alec Farriella, 10, who will be a
fifth-grader at Pond Road Middle School in the fall.
"I liked it because I got to crawl down in real smoke, but it
tasted bad and smelled bad," added Cory Karagjoci, 9, who will be a
fourth-grader at Sharon Elementary School.
"I learned to keep paper away from fire and to make the sure the
stove handles aren't sticking out," added Lindsay Stewart, 9, who
will be a fourth-grader at Sharon. Lindsay also liked looking at the
fire trucks, which was part of the firehouse tour that started the
day camp.
Showing the firehouse around gave the kids a chance to see and
understand "how we operate," Mr. Palmer said. "They got to see our
gear, our fire trucks, and they got to know how we receive 911 calls
through the dispatcher. They also got to see how the water comes out
of the hose and even got to squirt water themselves."
In addition to hands-on exercises, the day-campers also received
picture IDs with their fingerprints and free bike helmets. The
Police Department handled the fingerprinting while the Washington
Township Rotary provided the Polaroid photos. The helmets were
bought through the New Jersey chapter of the National Safe Kids
organization.
The kids were encouraged to bring their bicycles to the camp for
a free safety checkup by Capt. Dennis Symons, a former bike racer. A
bicycle safety information brochure containing a 15-point checklist
to ensure safe bike riding was given out.
The checklist included points such as wiping down the bicycle
frame and looking for "flaking paint that may indicate that a crack
has developed" and spinning the wheels to make sure that they are
"round and true" so they won't wobble.
"Some of the bikes got fixed, and some were referred to parents
for fixing," Capt. Symons said.
The kids watched a safety video and discussed the importance of
helmets and hand signals. Afterward, they rode around the parking
lot to practice safe riding.
The day camp also included a basic first-aid lecture covering
bleeding control, burn injuries, and choking emergencies and CPR
overview.
"My favorite was when they showed us the Heimlich maneuver and
CPR," said 9-year-old Kelly Vogel, who will be a fourth-grader at
Sharon in the fall.
The firefighters emphasized the age-old rule to never play with
fire, including matches, barbecue grills and campfires.
"A burn is the most painful injury that you can ever have," Mr.
Palmer told the youngsters, "and it takes a long time to heal."
The safety day camp was started last year after Mr. Palmer got
the idea from a fellow firefighter in Evesham. The Fire Department
is planning on holding the event annually.
"The importance of safety starts at home, of course," Mr. Palmer
said, "but I think that if the message is coming from us, it is a
great reinforcement from the parents' teaching."
According to Mr. Palmer, the group behaved well and was excited
about the camp.
"They are having a good time," he said before going in to check
the kids during snack time. Lunch was provided by McDonald's of East
Windsor and Marrazzo's Thriftway of Washington.
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