Safety First News
Articles
Harbor Heights students learn the importance of ‘Safety First’
by Michelle Rogers-Moore, Peninsula Gateway, June 14,2006
Program gives kids hands-on activities to avoid an assault.
If a predator wants or tries to attack a student from Harbor Heights Elementary School, he or she has chosen the wrong kid. The 600-plus students have been trained in preventing an attack, as well as using physical means to stop an attack.
Volunteers from Safety first Personal Protection Strategies, based out of gig Harbor, spent three days at the school last week engaging students in discussions, lectures, interactive role plays and physical training on how to stay safe in a variety of situations.
“We want to empower kids,” founder, CEO and President Bill Kortenbach said.
Secretary and Treasurer of Safety First Ginny Smethers said they conducted a similar program at Harbor Heights about three years ago, but it was only one day. Over the last three months, she, Kortenbach and Vice President George Warnell created the three-day program.
“It’s more comprehensive,” she said.
Smethers said Safety First was in vited back to Harbor Heights by physical education teacher Dave Rucci, who said the program was “really good” the first time around, but “awesome” this time.
“They can actually strike somebody,” he said, adding that most children don’t know that feeling and aren’t prepared to strike someone in a real predator situation. “And they learn to use their voice power.”
Kortenbach is quick to note that Safety First doesn’t advocate violence as a primary resource. Children undergo two days of education prior to the physical training taught on the third day.
“Our program considers violence to be an absolute last scenario,” he said.
The initial goal is to help students keep from becoming victims.
The first day of the program is titled “Conection and communication,” and includes topics like “Who are predators?” and “Normal Relationships.”
Instead of focusing on the “bad” things predators can do, Kortenbach said, students are taught the functions of a normal adult-child relationship.
“It’s powerful, it’s very positive, it supports healthy adult-kid relationships,” Kortenbach said, noting an example of an unhealthy relationship is exclusiveness.
The second day of training includes information and education about being home alone, getting lost and Internet safety.
The third day is consumed with physical activities that include Safety First volunteers dressed in protective gear. Children rotate through a variety of courses teaching voice power and keeping proper distance from attackers.
During the final portion of the physical training, padded attackers come at children, at whom they yell and use two to three strikes, such as a groin kick, to fight back.
“I think it’s awesome,” fifth-grader Tyler Hopper said. “We’re learning and having fun at the same time.”
Fifth grader Ali Perez had a different feeling about the physical training.
“I think it’s good, but it makes me feel uncomfortable,” she said noting that the pseudo-attackers were “scary.”
But Rucci said that’s why this program is needed-it gives studenta a look at would-be predators in a safe environment.
“They find out what a predator is,” he said.
Kortenbach said he hopes to take this program district-wide, and eventually nationwide. His goal is to teach the adult-level class to high school students and then utilize them as trainiers in the elementary and middle school programs. He said this would allow high school seniors an opportunity to gain community service hours for their senior projects and provide role models for elementary and middle school students.
The organization began in 2001, but gained non-profit status in april 2006.
Fred Oldenburg is a member of the newly formed board of directors and is working to gain grants and sponsorship for the organization. The Harbor Heights event was the first Safety First event he’s attended.
“I think it’s a wonderful program,” he said.
“I had no idea the kids in first, second and third grade could be so aggressive,” Oldenburg added.
The aggressive nature comes from what Safety First literature deems full-force adrenal response training, which teaches people to use their fear to protect themselves in an attack.
“Everybody already has everything they need to survive a violent encounter inside them,” Kortenbach said.
This strategy has led to a 100 percent success rate in the adult classes for the last five years, Kortenbach said.
Kortenbach and long-time friend Warnell started Safety First in response to events occurring on Sept. 11, 2001. Kortenbach said the duo had the Martial arts training and experience to make a difference in how people handled violent situation.
“We wanted to put people in touch with the hero that’s already inside themselves,” Kortenbach said.