School safety

  • Published
  • By Robert Schoenberg
  • 377th Safety Office
Kirtland Air Force Base, NM --  They're baaaack; back in force. Dozens of them coming out of nowhere, running across yards and streets, chasing each other and sometimes running in packs.

They've been absent for weeks. Their gathering place during most of the year peaceful and still. Not anymore. Yes, our kids are heading back to school.

Albuquerque public schools are back in class Aug. 18. Are your kids ready? Are YOU ready? There are countless resources available on the internet to help parents and students alike in the annual ritual known as back to school. This article will highlight a few safety tips to help with this transition.

Health and safety precautions help children adjust to new school year

When planning your back-to-school checklist, health and safety precautions should be at the top -- right up there with new clothes, notebooks and lunch boxes. Bicycle helmets and protective sports gear, updated immunizations and properly fitted backpacks also should be addressed to make your child's transition into a new school year as successful as possible. What fit perfectly last year will likely be outgrown this year.

Safety on the playing field

The return to school heralds the excitement and enthusiasm of fall sports like football, soccer and field hockey -- all contact sports with a high frequency of injury. Talk with physicians and coaches before the season starts about precautions to reduce the risk of injury. At the same time, be sure your child has all necessary protective gear such as properly fitted helmets, padding and mouth guards.

Top 10 simple tips to help keep children safe when they go back-to-school

Diana Jones, founder of the child safety stranger-danger program RUN * YELL * TELL, Ltd., has 10 tips for parents gearing up to send their children back-to-school. According to Jones, "Children must be prepared as early as age four, with pro-active rules that will help keep them stay safe. If parents communicate this in a casual manner, the process doesn't have to be scary."

Children should:

1) Walk to and from school in groups.

2) Never accept a ride without first getting permission from parents.

3) Never take shortcuts. Always stick to routes selected by parents, and stay on main roads.

4) Be reminded that 911 is a FREE call, even from a pay phone.

5) Never advertise if they are "latch key kids" and wear their house key on a string underneath clothing.

6) Have "home alone" plans for emergencies and for phone and door answering.

7) Have landmarks on school routes like: "On my way home, if I am past the church on Front Street and there's a problem, I'm closer to home and should go there. If I haven't reached the church, I'm closer to school and should go back."

8) Be aware of "safe havens" along walking routes (police stations, fire stations, retail shops), which represent the "right" strangers from which to seek help in immediate danger.

9) Report ALL suspicious behavior and "new adult friends" to parents.

10) Never leave school with anyone without checking with school officials.

Even if children are told it is "an emergency," they should know that all emergencies go through school officials.

Any back-to-school article would be incomplete if there was no mention of safe driving. Please be aware of school zones, usually indicated by flashing yellow lights and signage. Also be alert for crosswalks and speed limits. We have to get used to slowing down again in those 15mph zones. There have been several incidents recently regarding pedestrians in crosswalks not being afforded safe crossing.

Learn the "flashing signal light system" that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:

Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.

Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped and that children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

We are all aware of the additional risk children pose when they are in or near the roadway. It's not just the little ones. The older kids often engage in horseplay and when this occurs near the road it can be especially dangerous.
Add to this the fact that more people than ever, children and adults alike, are texting and talking on their cell phones. This added distraction makes it even more critical that drivers pay attention to what they and others around them are doing.

AFI91-207, 3.2.2 states vehicle operators on Air Force installations and operators of government owned, leased or rented vehicles on or off an Air Force installation, shall not use cell phones while the vehicle is in operation, except when using a hands-free device or hands-free operating mode.

For some reason, many drivers on base feel this doesn't apply to them. Yes, you're noticed and our law enforcement personnel are stepping up their efforts to pull you over. Like a recently spotted bumper sticker read: "Hang up and Drive!