Parents and children are invited to Bradwell Park on Saturday for the annual Safe Kids Day event geared toward educating parents and children on safety measures. 
“Sometimes our children can and will get hurt if we’re not careful. We need to keep them safe,” Hinesville Police Department patrolman James Williams said. “I hope that (parents) not only get knowledge out of this event, but have fun with their children.”
The free event, which is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., is organized by the HPD every year to share child-safety measures and advice on how to prevent accidents that could lead to serious injury or death, Williams said.
Throughout the event, parents can have their children fingerprinted, receive literature and watch demonstrations on everything from bicycle safety to proper installment of car seats.
The Hinesville Fire Department also will have a miniature version of a two-story home to teach children the proper procedures for how to exit a home in case of a fire, HFD Public Safety Education Coordinator Capt. Andra’ Hart said.
“The Hinesville Fire Department enjoys participating in events such as this because it allows us to reach a wide variety of people. It also gives us an opportunity to educate them on fire-safety prevention tips to make their homes safe,” Hart said. “We also educate (kids) on several other safety topics inside the home, such as kitchen safety; fireplace safety; stop, drop and roll; and how to call 911 and the information that should be given to the dispatcher. The Hinesville Fire Department is proactive with fire prevention and education. The more people that we educate can help reduce fire-related accidents and injuries.”
Food vendors and free entertainment also will be provided, and attendees can bring lawn chairs to sit in front of the stage for the concerts throughout the day. Registration for the 5K fun run/walk will begin at 7 a.m. The cost is $15 for early registration and $20 the day of the event. The race will begin at 8 a.m. with prizes for first- through third-place finishers in each age group.
“We have so much stuff that’s going to be happening there and we really encourage people to come out and enjoy it,” Williams said.
Aside from the regular fire and neighborhood-watch safety precautions, entities like Keep Liberty Beautiful also will teach Georgians how to keep the community free of litter that can cause bodily harm.
KLB will hand out literature and tarps to show drivers how to keep vehicle loads secure to prevent litter and other objects from flying out of vehicles, KLB Executive Director Sara Swida said.
“Litter is not only ugly and costly to cleanup, it can also be dangerous,” Swida said. “Each year, a number of Georgians are killed due to debris and other items becoming airborne and either hitting other vehicles or falling in the road into the path of oncoming vehicles.”
Children will receive information on litter prevention and neon sunglasses.
Although the entire month of May is dedicated to child safety, Williams said the HPD makes it a point to have Kids Safe Day to show parents that accident prevention is easy. The day also gives the police department an opportunity to show children that police aren’t always “the bad guys,” Williams said.
“I think my favorite part is just knowing that the children are coming out and they’re going to have some fun. Even when I became a police officer, my biggest focus was on the children. I don’t want the children to be scared of me. Police officers can be your friend. We can teach you the right things so that children will understand the difference between right and wrong,” Williams said. “Just knowing that a child can come out there and have fun and when they go away, that’s something they’ll remember from Safe Kids Day.”