Sandy Firefighters Encourage Safety
Firefighters in Sandy City are not only fighting fires and responding on medical calls, but they are now involved in a program to help prevent head injuries from bike and skateboard accidents. Sandy City Fire Department with the help of Healthy Sandy, Sandy Club, and Chick-fil-A, have begun a program to reward kids who are found wearing their bicycle helmets and get those without a helmet a free one.
Firefighters respond on bicycle accidents all of the time during the warm summer months. Many of these accidents result in serious head injuries due to the children not wearing helmets. Statistics show that more children will go to the hospital emergency room for injuries associated with bicycles than with any other sport. The National Highway Traffic Administration says, "A bicycle accident can happen at anytime. A properly fitted bicycle helmet reduces the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent."
Coinciding with the Sandy Fire Department Mission Statement, this bicycle helmet program meets the first part of their three fold mission that talks about the prevention of emergencies. Captain Robert DeKorver, who initially drafted the program, stated after seeing several kids riding around the city without helmets, that he felt the department could do something to prevent future emergencies involving bicycles and skateboards. Captain DeKorver with the help of the department's Fire Prevention Specialist, Lenore Corey and Deputy Chief Bruce Cline, the proposal was taken to Healthy Sandy and the Sandy Club. They were able to acquire enough funds to purchase 180 helmets.
This program is targeting children between the ages of 6 and 14 and will be administered by the firefighters as they are out checking hydrants, doing inspections, or training. If they see a child riding their bike with a helmet they will thank the child for practicing safety and reward them with a sticker and a gift certificate for a sandwich from Chick-fil-A. For those children who are not wearing a helmet, the firefighters will determine if the child does not have a helmet at all or if it is still at home. If the child does not own a helmet at all firefighters will give the child a certificate for a free, "Snell Certified" helmet that can be picked up at Sandy Fire Station 31. The station is located at 9010 South 150 East and they will be able to redeem that certificate any time Monday through Friday from 8 am until 5 pm. If the child is just not wearing their helmet due to it being at home, the firefighters will strongly encourage the individual to start wearing their helmet.
Sandy Fire would like to remind all children that helmets save lives if worn and worn correctly. Please remember to be helmet safety smart and always wear a helmet whenever you are riding your bicycle, skateboard, or scooter. This suggestion will help this program to go a long way in preventing head and brain injuries in our youth.
