PORT TREVORTON — More than 350 area residents, including many Amish and Mennonite families, attended the Child Safety Awareness Meeting on Saturday at the Snyder County Produce Auction, organized by the Freemont and Port Trevorton fire companies.
Randall Good, past fire chief of Port Trevorton, said this was the first event of its kind, “but seeing as how large the turnout is, we might think about making this an annual event.”
Good lives in the area “and I have a farm here,” he said. “I grew up in farming and operate a farm myself.”
This event came about based on some recent farming accidents, Good said. “People came together and said, ‘What can we do to make awareness of child farm safety? We put our heads together, and this resulted.”
“It’s grassroots organized,” added Eric J. Rickenbach, Rescue Techs.
Rickenbach helped with bringing in Penn State Ag. Extension. It took about three to four months to pull it all together, he said. “I don’t know how we all got this together. We just met in a room, threw around ideas, and that’s how it came about. I would say it’s a grassroots, first-time children safety meeting.”
There to discuss safety issues were representatives from the Snyder County Children & Youth, Evangelical Hospital, Penn State Extension, PA State Police, Snyder County EMA, Transitions, and more. Speakers addressed farm and home safety.
In the afternoon session, the experts manned tables and answered any questions posed. Jen Evans stood at the Children and Youth table, explaining their core services.
There were demonstrations as well. Mount Pleasant Fire Chief Jake Wagner showed passersby a hydraulic rescue spreader, or as he explained, better known a the jaws of life.
Pennsylvania state trooper Derek Gill, of the Selinsgrove barracks explained safety precautions to several children who were drawn to the weapons on this table.
One of the attendees was Evan Brubaker, holding onto his son 8-month-old son, Chad. “A lot here to take in,” he said quietly.
Impressed by the size of the crowd was Snyder County Commissioner Chuck Steininger. “It’s because the idea of this came from the ground up, a true grassroots movement. Maybe it’s the kind of event that should be held everywhere in Pennsylvania.”