Handled With Care: Safetytown teaches kids life-saving lessons in Marietta

The local emergency squad showed kids at Safetytown what they do to transport individuals to the hospital during emergencies. The squad visited kids at Phillips Elementary on Tuesday. (Photo provided by Kathi Carr)

MARIETTA — Hosted by the Marietta Rotary Club, Marietta is holding its 48th Safetytown at the Phillips Elementary School from June 16-26.

The kick-off for the event was held Monday, June 16, and featured deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

The program seeks to teach kids around the age of 5 about traffic laws and street safety. Incoming kindergarteners also gain the experience of being in a classroom setting for the first time.

The program had morning and afternoon sessions for each group. The morning Safetytown is from 9 a.m. to noon and the afternoon runs from 1 to 4 p.m.

“The volunteers deserve more recognition because some of them stay for the entire day which can be tiring, especially next week with it being so hot,” said Washington Elementary second grade teacher Kathi Carr.

A student volunteer was strapped into the stretcher brought in by the Marietta Fire Department emergency squad on Tuesday. (Photo provided by Kathi Carr)

Each day at Safetytown focuses on a different aspect of the community like the fire or police departments.

On Tuesday, June 17, the emergency squad visited the school to show the children a patrol and sheriff’s car. The guest speakers discussed with the kids how to properly cross the street.

With each day focusing on a different part of the community, Carr said that they’re also integrating new programs as times change.

“We’ve adapted to current safety needs and this year we’re incorporating internet safety,” said Carr. “These kids are on YouTube and TikTok and they need to know how to use it safely.”

Despite the rain during the first week of Safetytown, the kids were able to enjoy engaging activities with the guest speakers and spent time both inside and outdoors.

One of the student volunteers created traffic signs with sidewalk chalk for Safetytown on Friday. (Photo provided by Kathi Carr)

“We have a lot of people that come in and present and it wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our community providing those services to us,” said Carr.

Carr has been participating in Safetytown for around 20-30 years and she enjoys getting to spend quality time with the kids.

“We’ll have a different safety rule every day and we’ll be here for nine days,” she said. “Usually the afternoon class has significantly less kids than the groups in the morning.”

The kids are split into four groups; red, blue, orange, and green. Each group rotates through the scheduled activities during their time slot.

On Friday, the kids learned about water safety which featured Coastie the remote controlled boat. The students spent time outdoors at Safetytown and learned how to make proper left-hand turns while some students were indoors with Coastie and learned about water safety.

The kids at Safetytown learned about water safety and played with Coastie the remote controlled boat on Friday. (Photo provided by Kathi Carr)

“Each day is just totally different, every day is a different concept,” said Carr.

Amber Phipps can be reached at [email protected]