Area Kindergarteners Learn the Importance of Safety at Iberville "Safety Town"

Plaquemine, LA - March 11, 2008

Kindergarten students from Crescent Elementary (l to r): Colby Rousseau, Da'Yani Sanders, Sydnee Wilcoxon and Ernest Carr, Jr. are ready to take a safe drive around Safety Town. Adults seen assisting with Safety Town are (kneeling, l to r): Jake Berret, Williams & ICARE; Kyle Rovira, Syngenta & ICARE; John Bueche, Iberville Parish School Board Safety Town Coordinator; Seresa Corbin, Campfire USA; (Standing, l to r) Laurie Doiron, Iberville OEP/E-911; Tracie Loupe, Dow; Dr. Ed Cancienne, Iberville Parish School Board.

Kindergarten children in Iberville Parish, with the help of area business and industry volunteers, are learning the importance of safety in their community. Hundreds of area kindergarten students have participated in Safety Town over the past couple weeks in Iberville Parish.

Safety Town is designed to teach the young students about emergency preparedness, chemical, fire, gun, weather, bicycle and vehicle safety. During bicycle and vehicle safety, the students drive their “big-wheels” around the streets of the miniature Safety Town, which is complete with city buildings, railroad crossings, stop signs, and traffic lights. They are issued traffic tickets for any violations and awarded a Safety Town driver’s license once they demonstrate good safety practices. During Safety Town, the students also receive lessons on what to do when the siren sounds for bad weather or a chemical spill.

Other safety lessons are taught on how to correctly report an emergency by calling “911” on the telephone, fire safety principles like “stop, drop and roll,” flood safety principles and general personal safety like not playing with guns and not talking to strangers.

The sponsors of this year’s Safety Town includes Campfire U.S.A.; Dow Chemical; Entergy; Georgia Gulf; Iberville Parish OEP/E-911; Iberville Sheriff's Office; Iberville Parish School Board; INEOS Oxide; McDonalds; PCS Nitrogen; Olin; Plaquemine Fire Department; Shintech; Syngenta; Taminco; TOTAL; Williams; Youth Challenge Program.

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Gary Cambre
The Dow Chemical Company
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