Eighty-six Girl Scouts from York, Kittery, Eliot, South
Berwick and Kennebunk recently attended “Safety Matters,” an event designed to
help Daisy, Brownie and Junior girls earn the Girl Scout Safety Award. York
Beach Fire Captain Ferris Boardman, along with Kittery Police Officers Jay
Durgin, Chris Kondos and K-9 officer “Emma” presented a fun an informative
evening explaining how girls can stay safe at home and how to make safe choices
when encountering strangers and other outside influences.
Captain Boardman explained how fire alarms work and how
important it is to make sure batteries are fresh and that alarms are properly
maintained. “How many of you hear the smoke alarm at your house and say ‘It
must be Dad cooking again?’” Boardman asked the girls. He explained that even
if you think it might just be Dad burning toast, families should get in the
habit of exiting the house and gathering at a predetermined “family meeting
spot” in the yard to make sure everyone is safe.
In addition to demonstrating “Stop, Drop and Roll” and
explaining what to do if someone were choking, he also covered the
importance of knowing where the emergency exits are in your home or in public
buildings. He emphasized making sure emergency exits, especially in your home,
are not blocked. Not only will the occupants of the home not be able to get
out, but firefighters and rescue workers will not be able to get in to help.
Sound advice.
Officer Chris Kondos discussed playground, school bus and
bicycle safety, what to do if a stranger approaches or if you are lost in the
woods or in a shopping mall. He emphasized that girls should know their home
telephone number and street address, and the importance of having family contact
information available. The contact information should include telephone numbers
where parents can be reached including work and cell phone numbers as well as
the phone numbers of trusted neighbors the girls could call if there were an
emergency in the home and their parents were away. The Gundalow Service Unit,
sponsor of the Girl Scout safety award event, provided each girl with a Family
Contact packet to take home which also included a mini first aid kit for minor
scrapes and burns.
While the girls were very attentive and interacted
throughout each of the presentations, they were particularly interested in Emma
the German Shepard K-9 officer. Emma’s “dad,” Officer Jay Durgin explained the
search work Emma performs and her importance to the police department. He
demonstrated how well she is able to find items, which generated many excited
squeals from amazed girls (and adults). Emma was rewarded for her success with
a special toy, which she absolutely loved.
(courtesy photo)
