Area second-graders participate in safety day

The University of Nebraska Extension office hosted its 20th annual Safety Day for local second graders at the Lodgepole Youth Camp on Wednesday.

The camp was filled with more than 150 second-graders from Cheyenne and Deuel counties received hands-on information from local experts and volunteers about farm equipment to basic safety.

Krysti Nienhueser helped organize and bring Safety Day to Sidney when her son, who is now in his 30s, was in second grade.

"When I taught second grade, I went with a UNL Extension educator to a 4-H program, and one of the sessions was on farm safety," Nienhueser said. "I was truly shocked by the number of children in America who are killed or injured on farms, and that's when I knew we had to do something about that."

Nienhueser collaborated with Karen DeBoer of the UNL Extension office to be able to provide an informational day for younger students.

"It's not only farm kids who benefit from this information, but also the kids who visit their relatives' farms," Nienhueser said. "I was truly heartbroken by how many kids are injured in farm accidents, so these kids really need to be aware of how to prevent accidents."

The area second-graders were able to learn about fire safety, "stranger danger," power line safety, boat safety, farm equipment safety just to name a few. Members of the community including Sidney Police officers, volunteer firefighters, local business representatives and 4-H members gave demonstrations and presentations about their respective topics.

Screams filled one of the camp buildings when local police officers Tony Nappen and Jennifer Woodis taught students what to do in case they were put into a "stranger danger" situation.

Volunteer firefighters Dana Reece and Glenn Morrison explained to each class the importance of working fire detectors and practicing fire drills at school and at home with their parents. Reece and Morrison also had student volunteers put on vests with velcro flames attached to practice stop, drop and roll.

"This is a day where we can provide fire safety information countywide instead of just in the local schools," Reece said.

Reece and Morrison also gave tours of the fire truck that is used during rural fire calls.

Several 4-H members provided information about farm equipment safety, how to lift heavy objects properly and how household chemicals can appear safe or edible.

The 4-H volunteers that taught "lifting 101" encouraged the younger students to put what they learned during the presentation to use by participating in a wagon race. The second-graders had to properly lift a small tub into a wagon before maneuvering between cones.

"Second grade is the perfect age for activities like this, they are little sponges and are still willing to learn and listen and participate," said Chari Mohr, a second-grade teacher from Dix. "It even seems like the teenagers who are presenting are having just as much fun."