Local elementary

school children are getting a solid safety education thanks to a special

program conducted once a month by local volunteers.

The Risk Watch

program, implemented last year at Spring Hill Elementary by Fayette County

Safe Kids, is also at Oak Grove Elementary this year. Recently, students

learned about motor vehicle safety including tips on wearing seat belts.

Other topics to be covered include fire and burn prevention, poisoning

prevention, firearms injury prevention. And the staples, water safety

and bike safety, will also be covered.

The program,

which was developed by the National Fire Protection Association, was implemented

with financial support from the Allstate Foundation, which is a founding

sponsor, and the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia.

Rick Ryckeley,

a volunteer helping with the program, said it focuses on reducing the

number one killer of children under 14 years old accidental injuries.

"Those

are preventable injuries," Ryckeley said.

The program

brings together others such as bike rodeos, water safety and other prevention

programs which used to be taught separately, Ryckeley said. Now, the classes

are taught according to the curriculum developed by national safety experts.

Students are

tested before and after the lessons to determine their grasp of the skills

taught.

Teachers and

school personnel help out not only by supporting the program, but by wearing

special T-shirts the day of the program to make sure all the kids get

"geared up" for their Risk Watch presentation, Ryckeley said.

The teachers also attended a day-long workshop on Risk Watch, he added.

Plans are to

phase in three schools per year in the near future, meaning all elementary

schools will be covered by the program in 2004.

Each year,

unintentional injuries kill more than 7,000 children and permanently disable

more than 50,000 youngsters ­ more than drugs and disease combined.

One in four victims is injured seriously enough to require medical attention.