Safety Town Offers Two Summer Sessions

Safety Town is a two-week program offered to pre-K children the summer before they begin school for the first time. Sponsored by Saline Community Education, and in cooperation with the and Fire Departments, it is a popular course designed to give preschoolers a leg up on safety.

Brian Puffer, Director of Saline Community Education, said the program has been in operation for more than 20 years. 

“I think the program is very popular because the Saline Fire and Police Department are a big part of the program,” he said.

The spends one day with kids using their home fire simulator to teach kids what to do if they find themselves in a structure situation.

Safety Town covers pedestrian safety, police officers, bike safety, school bus rules, safety at home and play, fire safety, stranger danger, seatbelts, water safety and traffic safety. To emphasize awareness for traffic situations, Safety Town sets up a miniature city, complete with buildings, traffic signs and crossing guards. Then the use the lessons they've learned to tricycle through the city.

Glenna Ford, Director of Children’s Creative Learning Center in Saline, has a large group of kids bussed from the center to Safety Town each summer. 

“The kids come back from Safety Town very excited and happy to talk about all of what they learned each day,” she said. “Even on other field trips, when we drive by Liberty School, they all say ‘there is Safety Town!’”

Officer Dave Ringe is one of the facilitators of Safety Town, and makes sure each child is deputized, complete with a police badge, at the end of the program.

Kids who are entering Young-5’s, Kindergarten or First grade in September 2011 are eligible for the program. Registration began May 2. 

Sessions start June 21 or July 5 and are available for morning or afternoon. The tuition for the two week program is $75. Children from low-income families should feel free to contact for reduced rates.