Glow bracelets: Area kids’ Halloween made safer with SPFD, SPPD gift
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Published: November 09, 2011
More than 1,000 area kids were made safer on Halloween when they received a glow bracelet from a Santa Paula firefighter or police officer meant to make their trick-or-treating more visible.
It was the second year the glow bracelets, sponsored by the Santa Paula Firefighters Association and Santa Paula Citizen Corps, were distributed at Halloween hot spots such as the Santa Paula Street area visited each holiday by thousands of costumed kids.
Halloween is a scary for more reasons than just kids wearing frightening costumes. More than twice as many children than the daily average are killed on Halloween by motorists who don’t see children in the dark.
According to Santa Paula Fire Captain Steve Lazenby, “I think the use of the bracelet is an additional level of safety for anyone that wears them for the obvious reason that it helps increase visibility.” But there’s also a bonus: “The act of the distribution shows the public that we take their safety seriously” and, added Lazenby, “In addition it is a positive action to promote good public relations” by personal interaction with a police officer and/or firefighter.
“It was a huge hit with the kids” and their parents, said Lazenby, as well as with the public safety personnel that enjoyed working with the children.
Last year Santa Paula Citizens Corps decided against distributing the bracelets at area schools because of the limited life of the glow mechanism. It is expected the program will be continued for Halloween 2012.
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