Fire department makes a perfect fit
Last spring, Toledo (Ohio) Fire and Rescue Operations (TFRO) held a safety helmet giveaway for children between the ages of four and 14. The helmets are intended to reduce head injuries that occur in bicycle, skateboarding and roller blading accidents.
TFRO always has been associated with fire prevention, but the majority of incidents it responds to are trauma-related. That is why William Hickey, captain of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Bureau for TFRO, wanted the department to be involved with a public awareness program associated with trauma prevention.
For years, the locally based Safe Kids Coalition and local hospitals had been involved with a safety helmet giveaway program. However, the program’s reach was limited, Hickey says.
“Their giveaway was in conjunction with bike rodeos [and] health fairs,” he explains. “Historically the attendance at these events has been limited, thus the number of helmets given away has been low.”
Hickey suspected that kids would be more likely to respond if the safety helmet program were associated with the fire department. “We thought the important part of the prevention program was to get the helmets out, and, because of the association with the ‘fireman,’ kids would be more apt to wear them.”
Hickey pursued a grant for the safety helmet program from the Ohio Department of Public Safety with the help of the Safe Kids Coalition. TFRO received a grant of $7,500 in the spring of 2001 to fund the project.
Through its “Put a Lid on It” program, TFRO purchased 1,200 safety helmets and distributed them to the 17 fire stations throughout the city. All 525 Toledo firefighters were trained to fit the helmets for the kids.
TFRO scheduled a giveaway during the third week in May, which is designated EMS week. “We were going to give them out over that week, but the response was such that they were gone the first day. [The turnout was] beyond my best expectations,” Hickey says.
The department also distributed safety information and had children sign a pledge stating they would wear the helmets during all appropriate activities. TFRO asked parents to sign a liability waiver and to evaluate the program.
Feedback has been positive, Hickey notes. As a result, TFRO is seeking funding for another safety helmet project this year.