DELPHOS, OH (WLIO) - It was back to school this week for some kids in Delphos, but the lessons they are learning will be ones they use for the rest of their lives. Our Ellie Janszen takes us to Delphos' first-ever Safety City.
The first graduating class is not only walking away from Safety City with a bike helmet, certificate, and a t-shirt but also with a lot of knowledge on how to stay safe, like when they are riding in a car.
"You have to buckle," says Bianca Richards, a graduate of Delphos Safety City.
"You have to buckle; what else?" asked the reporter.
"So, you don't die in a crash," adds Richards.
And when they are around traffic when walking around Delphos?
"You learned about stopping at stop signs and crossing at crosswalks," says Aubree Gallmeier, a graduate of Delphos Safety City.
And when they meet a stranger?
"If they say, 'Hey, can you come help me with my puppies? You say no!" answers Richards.
Officer Robert Fitzgerald began as the Delphos City School Resource Officer this past school year and wanted to start Safety City because he saw that his own kids needed these lessons, so he is helping kids in kindergarten through third grade in Delphos learn some valuable lessons.
"One of the things I keep getting asked about Safety City is, 'Lima has a Safety City, so why don't we just send our kids over to Lima?' And I love Lima. Officer Eric is doing a fantastic job over there. But we are a city, and our kids deserve to have those resources here," says Robert Fitzgerald, Delphos City School Resource Officer.
Thanks to a lot of local sponsors, the students will learn during the four-day course about being safe on the bus, fire safety, and how to stay safe on their bikes. Plus, get a better understanding of what a police officer does. But most importantly, learn how to handle a stranger.
"For our area, stranger danger is something that is very important. We got the highways running through here, and it's something that should always be in the back of our kids' minds. Just because they look friendly, it doesn't mean that they have friendly intentions," adds Fitzgerald.
Delphos Safety City started with 35 students in its first year, but Fitzgerald is hoping to grow the program with more staff and departments in the future.
