Safety Town is where 'seeds are planted' for kids to learn about surroundings
Jun. 12—After being cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Safety Town is operating again in Middletown and registration for the free week-long program is full.
During Safety Town, which started in 1977, children experience classroom instruction, videos, a field trip to the Middletown Division of Fire Department on a school bus and driving pedal cars through a child-sized village in the Amanda Elementary School gym.
The object of Safety Town is for the students to learn how to safely get to and from school whether on buses, walking or riding with parents, said Kristy Duritsch, executive director of the Safety Council of Southwestern Ohio.
"Seeds are planted for safety," Duritsch said. "For some of these kids, it's the first time away from their parents. It teaches them to be aware of their surroundings and gives them the tools to make safe decisions."
Connor Kirby, a Middletown school resource officer, is running Safety Town for the first time with assistance from Robyn Rawlins, who ran the program for years.
Kirby said the goal of Safety Town is to teach the kindergartners "good safety habits" and for them to "recognize different unsafe situations."
Since last year's Safety Town was cancelled, it was open this year to kindergartners and first graders, Duritsch said. She said 374 children signed up and all seven weeks are full. She said more sessions may be added later depending on the length of the waiting list and the availability of the gymnasium.
On Friday, those who attended the first session received their certificates from Kirby, who posed for pictures with the children.
Landen, 6, and his nephew, Louis, 5, both graduated, completing the third generation to attend Safety Town.
Landen's parents and Louis' grandparents Michelle Byrd, 42, and her husband, Jamie, 41, attended Safety Town in the mid-1980s at Roosevelt Elementary School and their daughter, Brittney, 26, attended Safety Town.
Michelle Byrd said she still remembers learning about "Stop, Drop and Roll," and "Just So No" during Safety Town 36 years ago.
"Still vivid," she said.
Safety Town was started by Harvey Poff of the Middletown Police Department in 1977 in response to several accidents involving children going to and from school,
Poff led the program until 1984 when Officer Mike Davis took over. Davis retired from the Middletown Police Department in 2011 after serving as "Mayor of Safety Town" for 26 years. He retired after 44 years of service in 2011 and died two years later.
HOW TO GO
WHAT: Safety Town
WHEN: Sessions throughout the summer
WHERE: Amanda Elementary School, 1300 Oxford State Road
COST: Free and open to students entering kindergarten and first grade
CALL: If you're interested in being added to the Safety Town waiting list, call 513-423-9758
