AMR Hosts Safety Day for Upstate N.Y. Fifth-Graders

June 06—Brittany Macrina laid on a gurney Tuesday, inside one of the pavilions at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds, as one of her fifth-grade students took a piece of cloth and tied it into a knot around her arm.

The scene may have looked like a medical emergency was unfolding, but instead, Macrina and her students were helping demonstrate what a paramedic would likely do if she had actually broken her arm.

Michael Butts, with American Medical Response, explained how a paramedic would stabilize the arm, check for a pulse and other steps involved with an emergency medical visit.

The demonstration was part of the 19th annual Herkimer County Farm and Home Safety Day held by the Herkimer County Soil and Water Conservation District at the fairgrounds. The event included various presenters and was opened to fifth-grade students from schools throughout the county including Benton Hall Academy, Frankfort-Schuyler Elementary School, Mount Markham Middle School, Herkimer Elementary School, St. Francis de Sales Regional Catholic School, Gregory B. Jarvis Middle School, Richfield Springs Central School District and West Canada Valley Elementary School, as well as Herkimer home school students,

Macrina, who teaches at Benton Hall Academy, said it was her first time attending the event.

"I think it's a wonderful experience," she said, noting that it gives students exposure to possible emergency situations and how they should handle it.

Organizers estimated that by the end of the day Tuesday, nearly 10,000 fifth-grade Herkimer County students will have gone through the event over its nearly two decade history. The event, according to a news release, teaches "valuable safety lessons to last a lifetime and maybe even save a life."

Katie Whitcomb, event coordinator, said this year's event included all of the same events as the previous year, which included animal safety, ATV safety, bicycle safety, disability awareness, electrical safety, emergency medical aid, fire safety, lawn equipment safety, mechanical hazards, sun safety and rabies awareness, among others.

Whitcomb said the event can provide students with necessary safety information.

"I don't know if fifth-grade students really get this information with more technology and less farms [these days]," she said. "There's less of an opportunity to be aware of what they need to be aware of and what to do if they visit a farm."

Whitcomb said the event included about 60 to 70 volunteers, along with Herkimer County Dairy Princess Connie Louise Frasier, who served ice cream.

Teachers were provided with fact sheets to go over what students learned throughout the day. Whitcomb noted that students who attend are provided with goodie bags that include a first-aid kit and a bracelet with beads that change color when someone should apply sunscreen.

"The students can bring home what they learned and share it with their families," she said.