If an emergency situation arises, officials at Seymour-Redding Elementary School want their students to live by a slogan they’ve echoed in the classrooms.
“Prepare, not scare.”
Wednesday, students met the men and women in uniform that help keep them safe while going over important safety procedures.
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All classes at the school participated in a third-annual “safety day,” as students met with first responders visiting on campus.
Representatives from the Seymour Fire, Seymour City Police, Indiana State Police, Emergency Medical Services, and Indiana Conservation departments all participated in the event.
Seven different stations were set up around the school, with each session lasting around 10 minutes.
Some agencies, such as the EMS, fire, and police departments brought their vehicles and equipment with them.
Redding third grade teacher Kylene Steward and social worker Meredith Henry head the event.
“Mrs. Henry and I went to the Indiana State Safety Academy a few years ago and this (safety day) was presented up there as an idea, and we thought we should do it,” Steward said. “We adjusted it to our needs and what we wanted it to look like.”
While the school teaches safety throughout the year, safety day allows students to put a face to a uniform.
“It just prepares the students for any type of emergency situation,” Henry said. “We do that throughout the year, but this is just a day where we can focus on different situations that better prepare them; whether it be at the school or in the community. We want them to feel comfortable with community personnel, and to feel safe with them.”
Steward said she hopes the kids understand that first responders are there to help keep them safe.
“I think they’ve seen them before, but I think it’s more exciting for them to be up close and personal,” she said. “They get to see what their uniforms look like and all the equipment that they use. They also get to see the emergency vehicles up close.”
On top of meeting the agencies, the kids also went through lock down drill in the cafeteria and a reverse evacuation drill from the playground to school. School Resource Officer Jack Hauer also spoke to the students about internet safety.
Third-grader Noble Hare said he enjoyed listening to Indiana Conservation Officer Blake Everhart.
“He told us all about the different kinds of life jackets and what to do if an emergency happens,” he said. “Whether your’e in the boat or floodwater.”
The firetruck and firefighters was the highlight for third-grader Audra Bush.
“My favorite part was the firetrucks,” Bush said. “I’ve always liked firetrucks. You need to know what to do if there’s a bad accident so you’re safe.”
Steward says they plan on continuing the program in the future.