I think it is important to let your readers know that Cobb County’s Safety Education Center and Village is an important part of our community and deserves continued support from Cobb’s Board of Commissioners and the community at large.
Over the last several months I have seen reports that questioned the value of safety education and the need to provide top notch hands-on education to our children. Others have complained that the county board of commissioners and the county’s public safety agencies should not be involved in safety education, suggesting that we simply stop providing the service and push the burden onto our two local school systems.
I believe we are most effective when we work together, so as a county commissioner I actively supported the creation and operation of the county’s safety education center and village. Where else can our children and grandchildren learn first hand how to escape a burning house or avoid the treacherous advances of a stranger with evil intent?
Recently members of the Cobb County Grand Jury visited the education center and safety village and interviewed our staff. It comes as no surprise that this group of citizens came away impressed and convinced that Cobb County is doing the right thing for our community. The report points out that “all the positive aspects of the safety village are too numerous to name,” and that staff at the village demonstrates an impressive “passion to protect and educate Cobb county’s most vulnerable citizens — the youth and elderly.”
Every second and fourth grade student in Cobb, Marietta, home school and private school has access to the village as part of his or her regular curriculum. State law sets the education standard for children and since 1978, Cobb County has been leading the way. The Safety Village has enabled instructors to expand this education and teach even more impactful life lessons. During the last school year we interacted directly with 19,610 children.
Cobb’s business community, civic groups and other governments have all participated in making the Safety Village the best place to learn how to save lives and avoid the many dangers that people of all ages are faced with.
Members of the grand jury that visited the village concluded their report with the following statement: “The Safety Village has so much to offer our community and is money well spent.”
A simple, yet powerful statement. I encourage your readers to learn more about the village by visiting www. cobbcounty.org/safetyvillage
Helen Goreham
District 1 Commissioner
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I assume the "Safety Village" is only open to Cobb County students...why not allow schools outside of Cobb use the facility for a fee?
Good idea!!
That additional revenue and corporate sponsorships (as has been suggested by others) could work.
I hope Commissioner Goreham and the other commissioners are reading these comments.
THEY are the ones that need to take time from their work day and from their school day,
THEY are the ones that need to incur the expense of driving or taking a bus or devising some other way to get to the Safety Village,
If THEY want to protect themselves and our children then it is THEIR responsibility to show up at the county's convenience in order to accomplish that.
Is that what you are saying?
So if I follow yours and others rationale the most cost effective way to provide these services would be to get Firefighters & Police Officers to voluntarily give of their time to present these programs school by school or subdivision by subdivision versus putting a large group under one roof and having 3 or 4 paid folks do it at one time. To me that does not make economical sense so I question the method.
All I am saying is for those that criticize to please have sufficient information available first. Visit the Safety Village to see what occurs, go to an event when the Fire Safety House shows up, attend the Citizens Police Academy to see its impact, visit the Police Explorers and see their impact, visit one of the Senior Centers and see the impact of these types of programs involving the elderly, and on and on and on. Once you do that then decide if it is an unnecessary "fluff" program or a legitimate need worth spending our tax dollars on. I have always been and always will be a strong advocate of the safety needs of our citizens and the need to spend tax dollars to accomplish that task.
I'll say it again even though it is rather obvious from your one sided rants.
You just don't get it.
The issue is not whether to teach individuals about fire safety. That's a no brainer. Of course we should.
It is about the best and most economical way to do that.
I would hope that the cops and firefighters would be willing to provide their services voluntarily. In my experience they probably would.
The point of encouraging corporate sponsorship as an alternative funding source was meant to support 100% of the cost, not just a portion.
And please don't get so upset and make your snide remarks when someone disagrees with you.
This is simply a forum for people to express their opinions.
How many cops or firefighters do you have to take off of the road to teach 19,610 kids. Your idea is lame at best.
P.S. as far as Homeownernextdoor the Safety Village already has corporate sponsorship. Actually look or visit the Village when the children are present to see what impact it has before you speak. A little knowledge goes a long way.
Some people just don't get it.
And you seem to be one of them.
The Safety Village is a luxury, not a need.
Safety for our children and our seniors is certainly important, but there are more economical ways to provide that information.
Whatever happened to having the firemen and policemen actually come into the classroooms, made presentations and leave informative materials for the children and their parents.
Please take the time to read the comment of homeownernextdoor for a more common sense way of handling this expense.
Close it before we have anothe SPLOST tax to support it!!!!
Is there a drug testing requirement for elected officials in Cobb County?
If not, this Letter to the Editor should be proof enough that there should be.
By the way I thought the idea of corporate sponsorship held forth by homeownernextdoor is a good one worthy of serious consideration.
I say in much the way corporations sponsor ball parks, they could sponsor the safety village. I suggest open the bidding to insurance companies. Or tell teh insurance company how much it costs the couty to run. Then have a rotating sponsorship every year or two years, with a chance for all companies to sponsor equally. Something like that.
It seems you are trying to irrationally rationalize what has been proven to be a terrible waste of taxpayers money.
You are not an objective observer. You have a vested political interest in spinning this to your advantage.
Kind of like the way Obama defends Obamacare and Solyndra and Eric Holder defends the "Fast and Furious " debacle.
Again, PITIFUL
What kind of mindless blather of a statement is that?
If I had known this was going on, I would have asked for a jetpack.
We've been asleep long enough. It's time to stop these retarded rino (i.e. former democrats) idiots from carrying out any more of the insanity spending.
Voters do.
I think you would have been better off keeping your thoughts on the "Safety village" to your self, Ms. Goreham.