Students See Public Safety Panorama at Woodbridge “Safety Day” |
May 9, 2006
Township Takes Active Role in Promoting Safety Awareness Programs in Schools
WHEN: Weds. May 10, 9:00 a.m.
WHERE: Port Reading Elementary School #9 ‑ 77 Turner Street in Port Reading
Mayor Frank G. Pelzman will attend and speak at a Safety Day Program designed to introduce elementary school students to various forms of local emergency services: police, fire, emergency medical, hazardous materials, emergency management teams.
“Being prepared to respond in an emergency is a skill children should possess as well as adults,” says Mayor Pelzman. “The Safety Day Program is invaluable because it teaches children the appropriate agency to turn to in a specific situation, thus saving time and potentially lives.”
Today’s school Safety Day Program is much more sophisticated than the simple “duck and cover” tutorial of former years. Woodbridge Township Office of Emergency Management personnel present an overview of public safety services, demonstrate emergency situations and have children participate in simulations – hands-on examination of equipment such as neck collars and rescue cots. Emergency, police and fire vehicles are also on display.
The Safety Day Program is part of an ongoing preparedness effort by Woodbridge Township officials. Since May, 2001, the Township has employed the innovative “Reverse 911” system that mobilizes phone lines for communicating urgent information to residents in a targeted geographic area. Recently, the Township expanded Reverse 911 to include an Emergency Evacuation Database for elderly and infirm residents.
Last Fall, the Township graduated its first Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class of citizen volunteers trained to assist first responders. And initial funding has been received to upgrade the Township’s public safety radio communications system with a state-of-the-art trunked digital radio network.
The annual Safety Day Program remains vital for teaching safety fundamentals. “Having this knowledge not only helps in the event of an emergency, it provides children and parents with peace of mind year-round,” says Mayor Pelzman.
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MIS Department
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