Fifth grade students from schools across the county will meet at the Collins Career Center Tuesday to learn a lesson about safety.

Monday, May 07, 2001

Fifth grade students from schools across the county will meet at the Collins Career Center Tuesday to learn a lesson about safety.

Twenty-six fifth grade classes from seven schools in Lawrence County – about 600 students – will converge on the school for the county’s "Kids Safety Scenes," sponsored by the Lawrence County Student and Family Education (S.A.F.E.) program and the Lawrence County Emergency Services Agency/EMA.

The event coordinates with the National SAFE KIDS Week, which runs May 5-12.

There will be 13 safety stations the students will rotate through to discuss injuries children commonly face.

According to statistics from the national program, accidental injuries are the most common health risk factor facing children under 14 years old.

Statistics from Southeast Ohio EMS District, SEOMS, show more than 750 children were treated and transported by ambulance due to injury in 1999.

During that period of time, the emergency room at River Valley Health System treated more than 2,700 injuries to children under 18 years old.

Motor vehicle accidents top the list of reasons children are injured.

Other injury areas includes falls from playgrounds, bike and pedestrian injuries, fire and burn injuries, poisonings, drownings and near drownings, strangulation or suffocations, agriculture-related injuries and firearm injuries.

Topics presented at the event will address these areas with 10-minute lectures from professionals in the field.