Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Safety Day Camp has huge attendance in Waukon
Touring the Gundersen Air Med-Link helicopter at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds ... The Safety Day Camp had a record attendance this year with 151 children attending. Pictured above is most of the entire group who attended this year’s Safety Day Camp, touring the Med-Link helicopter which flew in just for this event. The Safety Day Camp is hosted every other year by Veterans Memorial Hospital with the help of Allamakee County Iowa State University Extension, Farmers Business Network - Dawn Burroughs, and the Allamakee County Fair Board. Submitted photo.
Drone safety with Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department ... Drone safety was instructed by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department at the June 10 Safety Day Camp. Department officials demonstrated all of the high-tech equipment associated with the drone, which is especially helpful in search and rescue situations. Submitted photo.
Electric hazards explained during Safety Day Camp ... This life-like display of possible electric hazards was a huge point of interest with all the Safety Day Camp attendees June10. Electrical Hazards were explained in detail by Allamakee-Clayton R.E.C. staff. Submitted photo.
Decorah Fire Department’s ladder truck ... The Decorah Fire Department ladder truck made a special trip to Waukon to show the size and height of the truck and explain its important use to all participants in the June 10 Safety Day Camp in Waukon. Submitted photo.
Veterans Memorial Hospital hosted its biennial Safety Day Camp Thursday, June 10 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds in Waukon. This day camp drew a record crowd of 151 children ages seven to 14 from area communities for a day-long session on how to take responsibility for their own safety, respect parents’ safety rules and share safety tips with their family and friends.
The children were divided into 10 different groups and spent 20 minutes at each of the 10 safety stations. These 10 stations and their instructor(s) included:
• Farm Equipment Safety taught by Waukon High School FFA members and Dave Mathis of Mathis Dragline
• Lawn Mower/Chain Saw/Weed Eater/Pinch Point Safety taught by Chuck Votsmier and Jim Ryan of Veterans Memorial Hospital
• Bicycle Rodeo instructed by Molly Brodahl, Allamakee County Extension
• Grain Safety/Tug of War taught by Becky Rea, Allamakee County Extension
• ATV/Motorcycle/Bicycle Safety taught by Dawn Burroughs and Iron Hill Power Sports of Waukon
• Electrical Hazards taught by Allamakee/Clayton Rural Electric Cooperative and Dennis Cook.
• First Aid and First Aid Kits instructed by Teresa Schaefers, RN, and Cheryl Livingston, EMT-P, both of Veterans Memorial Hospital
• Internet Safety taught by Mike Mitchell, IT, Veterans Memorial Hospital
• ‘Safe at Home’ and Babysitting Skills taught by Corinne Cook, RN, of Veterans Memorial Hospital
• Firearm Safety instructed by Ross Geerdes, Allamakee County Conservation.
The campers were also all called together at four different times during the day for large group demonstrations. The first demonstration involved a dummy getting caught in a power take-off entanglement and another demonstration of a heavy gate and a dual tractor tire falling on a watermelon and what that could mean to a child in that situation.
The second large group demonstration included touring the Decorah Fire Department Ladder Truck. The third demonstration was on Drone Safety instructed by the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department. And the fourth large group demonstration included a fly-in and tour of the Gundersen Air Med-Link helicopter.
The following local organizations and businesses donated materials, equipment, food, literature or even their employees to help plan and carry out this year’s safety day camp: Allamakee County Conservation, Allamakee County Fairboard, Allamakee-Clayton REC, Allamakee County Sheriff’s Department, Clark Tire Center, Little Switzerland FFA Chapter instructed by Jessica O’Connor at Waukon High School, ISU Extension, Corinne and Dennis Cook, Mathis Dragline, Waukon Police Department, Village Farm and Home, Waukon Implement, Xpressions and the Allamakee EMS Association (Area Ambulance-Postville, Harpers Ferry Ambulance, Harpers Ferry Fire Department, Lansing EMS, Lansing Fire Department, New Albin Fire & Ambulance, Postville Fire Department, Veterans Memorial Hospital Ambulance, Waterville Ambulance, Waterville Fire and Rescue Department and the Waukon Fire Department).
In addition, each participant received a t-shirt and goodie bag for attending. T-shirts and many items in the goodie bags were provided by the event corporate sponsor, Farmers Business Network, represented by Dawn Burroughs, agent. For further information on the Veterans Memorial Hospital Safety Day Camps in Waukon, contact Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
