Westley Rice knows when a situation calls for emergency responders.
The 6-year-old met with representatives from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and Nassau County Fire Rescue while attending the NCSO Safe Kids Academy July 8.
Rice learned “that you don’t call 911 willy-nilly,” he said, adding information about the Jaws of Life. “They have gear in the fire trucks to tear down cars.”
He and 16 other children ages 5 to 8 met at Callahan Elementary School from 9 a.m. to noon to learn playground and bicycle safety, self-defense techniques, firearm safety, stranger awareness, internet safety, how to be a buddy instead of a bully, how to call 911, and fire safety drills.
NCSO Deputy Lisa McCumber oversees the program. She is also a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) officer.
“This is the sheriff’s Safe Kids Academy to equip children with necessary life skills to help them help community helpers like firemen, police officers, for anywhere from minor to lifesaving events in their homes, communities and schools,” she said.
Addison Collins practiced how to “stop, drop and roll so, that fire won’t get on you,” the 5-year-old said.
Mom April Collins attended the class for the first time with her daughter. She wanted Addison to have an opportunity “to learn how to do 911 and to know that police officers are there to help them and that firefighters are there to help them even though they might look scary to children,” she said. “I’m very blessed that they have a program where people are blessed to teach them.”
NCSO 911 Dispatch Supervisor Marcelia Robinson has served the county since 2008.
“(I) come and help (to) talk about 911 and safety, talk about how to find parents if children are lost, fire safety, downed power lines, how to call for help and what dispatchers need if children are in an emergency situation,” she said. “I find great pleasure in giving them the correct information. A lot of kids don’t know what to do unless they’ve been through the D.A.R.E. program. Just to give them the expectancy of what’s going to happen, because they’re so young, they don’t know what to expect when police and fire rescue show up. We just want them to remain calm and answer all the questions, and be great listeners and follow directions.”
NCSO Marine Agricultural Unit Det. Ken Clements spoke to the kids about boat safety.
“I get to teach them safety items like life jacket safety, firearm safety,” he said. “I love interacting with the kids, giving them a positive experience at a young age. There’s a lot of negativity toward law enforcement, so we try to give them positive interaction while they’re young.”
Reagan Smith, 5, expressed her joy at meeting firemen.
She and her peers toured emergency vehicles and looked at a Sea-doo and other equipment onsite at the school. Joining in the academy were NCFR Station 50 Lt. Dan Weideman, engineer Scott Roberts, engineer Jonathan Hannah and firefighters Luke Davis and Jeremy LaTraverse.
An advocate from Micah’s Place was also on hand at Callahan Elementary School briefly to represent the non-profit group.