Cruising into safety, Bethel Local Schools hosts Safety Town

Bethel Township recently hosted its annual Safety Town program June 17-21 at the new Bethel Elementary School, catering to 56 enthusiastic incoming Bethel kindergarten students.

Kids showed up ready and excited for Safety Town. Those of you who didn’t have the pleasure of cruising on the masking-tape-made roads and Big Wheels of Safety Town might be asking yourself, what exactly is Safety Town? Bethel Local Schools’ School Resource Officer (SRO) Deputy Liz McGuire gave the scoop on Safety Town and why she feels bringing it to Bethel each year is so important.

Deputy McGuire and her Safety Town Team packed a lot into five days, teaching young minds vital safety information. Students met Deputy McGuire, who will be their SRO officer, and learned the equipment officers carry and the importance of SROs. They also got to see a police cruiser. It was all aboard when the students went to learn about bus safety, even taking a bus ride to go through mock bus stops.

Deputy McGuire said the Bethel Fire Department outdid themselves again and brought out their new smokehouse, where students learned and practiced fire safety, even getting to do a fan favorite: spraying a firehose.

It certainly was “all hands on deck” that week as Deputy Thobe from the Miami County Sheriff's Department paid Safety Town a visit with K9 Vello. Deputy McGuire said the best part of the visit was seeing the kids pet Vello. The students also had a visit from dispatcher Shannon Adams, who discussed appropriate 911 calls. Throughout the week they also learned about stranger danger, gun safety, and water safety. Micah Bray from the YMCA came out to speak to kids about water safety. Deputy McGuire elaborated on the importance of water safety, “This is a new topic that we have added to the curriculum this year and feel it is very important for kids to learn with summer being in full effect.”

Safety Town cadets Savannah Lew and Theo Garner had an opportunity to provide feedback. While five-year-olds Savannah and Theo didn’t mention being in the back of a police cruiser, they did mention a few takeaways from the past several days. “I loved riding bikes and wearing my helmet,” said Savannah. Each student was sized and given a helmet to take home on Tuesday. She said, “I loved the big hose that the firefighters use. I learned how to call 911 if something bad happens.” Theo had a ton of fun too and learned a lot as well. “I loved all of it! It was really fun to ride on the school bus for my first time and meet the police dog. I liked riding the bikes and learning to protect myself from strangers.”

On their final day, Safety Town cadets received their certificates at graduation and also received a cupcake, as Deputy McGuire said the cadets had earned it after a long, hard week of fun.

Deputy McGuire had a lot to share about Safety Town and the importance of the program. “I feel Safety Town is important because we have developed a program where we have the opportunity to teach children about a variety of safety topics. The kids are able to absorb the information because they are having fun while they are learning. This leaves these incoming kindergartens feeling confident when making decisions regarding safety.”

The Bethel Community is grateful for the Safety Town Program, and how it empowers students with essential safety skills, ensuring they are well-prepared and confident as they begin their educational journey.