Safety Town Comes To Walker

Your child might know the rules, but would they remember the steps when their heart is racing? Safety Town is finally coming to Walker, Michigan, and we sat down with Jenna Wilmers to explain why this hands-on kids safety program can make a real difference for families. A late-night 911 call from her little brother became the spark, and it turned into a community effort to give local kids practical skills they can actually use. 

We break down what Safety Town in Walker looks like: a half-day summer program at Zinser Elementary with a life-size street-style setup where kids can ride bikes and practice road safety in a safe environment. From there, children rotate through age-appropriate lessons that cover bike safety, fire safety, weather safety, water safety, vehicle safety, and home safety. One of the most memorable features is a smoke-filled trailer experience supported by the fire department, helping kids learn how to move and think clearly in a simulated emergency without the risk. 

You’ll also hear how city teams like police, fire, and DPW partner with local businesses to make the program possible, what ages the sessions are designed for, and where organizers want to take Safety Town next as it grows year after year. We also share what the Walker Community Engagement Committee does and how volunteer residents help bridge the gap between the community and city services. 

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:07):
Welcome to Maiden Walker, a podcast that connects
you to the people, the stories,and the ideas shaping our
community.
From local innovators toeveryday change makers, we're
diving deep into what makesWalker a great place to live,
work, and grow.
Here's your host, NicoleDiDonato.

SPEAKER_02 (00:26):
Communities across the country have used what's
called Safety Town to teach kidspractical safety skills.
And this summer, that model iscoming to the city of Walker for
the very first time.
I'm joined by Jenna Wilmers.
She is chair of our communityengagement committee and pretty
instrumental in bringing thisprogram to Walker.
Jenna, thank you so much forbeing here.

SPEAKER_01 (00:46):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm so excited to tell thecommunity and the listeners
about this program.
Yes.

SPEAKER_02 (00:53):
And you made a good point.
Some of our listeners, they mayactually know about Safety Town
if they've gone through it askids over the years in other
communities.
Um, but what was it aboutbringing Safety Town to Walker?
What was you had a personalstory with it as well.

SPEAKER_01 (01:06):
So it started with a funny story.
My little brother, when we wereyounger, he actually called 911
in like the middle of the nightat like two in the morning.
And uh the dispatch ended upcalling my parents on the phone
because it was back when wedidn't really have cell phones,
it was just the landlines.
And they were like, Hey, um, doyou do you know that your son is

(01:28):
awake?
And my parents are like, What doyou mean?
And they're like, Well, we justgot a phone call from him.
And so as my mom and I weretalking one day, reminiscing
this story, I was telling her, Iwish that my son could learn how
to uh call 911 and like whatquestions are gonna be asked in
practice, because with bringingin cell phones, it adds another

(01:51):
component to it.
And uh, she was like, Well, haveyou ever heard of Safety Town?
And I was like, No, I was like,What's Safety Town?
And that really started a deepdive into what it is, what
happens there, and how othercommunities do that and bring
this program to theircommunities.
Yes.

SPEAKER_02 (02:10):
And we've talked about it for a couple years, it
is finally happening.
We're very excited about that.
It is June 22nd to the 25th.
It's a half day, and it's goingto be at Zinzer Elementary,
which we're pretty grateful foras well.
When you're doing programs insummer in Michigan, it could be
pretty hit or miss.
So inside a school, weathercontrolled, this is going to be

(02:31):
very good.

SPEAKER_01 (02:31):
So, yes, we're very thankful to our partners at uh
Zinzer Elementary, PrincipalJohnston, and her husband are
going to actually MC theprogram.
And then our city uh assets suchas Police and Fire and the
Department of Public Works haveall graciously jumped in on
this, and they're very excitedto join in and bring this

(02:52):
program not only to the kids,but also to the community and
expand on even their programmingthat they're already doing in
the schools, which is awesome aswell.
So it's going to be a great uhcollaborative effort, uh, not
only within the city, but thenwe also have some business
partners that are joining us aswell that are also helping
elevate the program as well.

(03:14):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (03:14):
And everyone who's reached out to do that
independent bank, pro tech, procollision, JJ Wright Salon,
they're so excited to see thiscome.
So we know that there's a needfor it.
Yeah.
So what does Safety Town looklike for someone who's never
really heard of it?

SPEAKER_01 (03:29):
Sure.
So Safety Town for us is goingto look like a it's a three-hour
a day program that kids cancome.
And when they when they arrive,they will be introduced into
what we call Safety Town Play.
And I don't know if you rememberwhen you were a kid and you had
those little uh rugs that hadthe little streets and all the
buildings on them, and you woulddrive your little cars like the

(03:51):
Hot Wheels.
Yeah.
And we are actually getting alife-size one.
So kids will be able to actuallyride their bikes all the way
around.
Uh it'll be in the gymnasium,and they will be able to then
practice road safety wherebecause it's like those little
drugs, it's pretty pretty nifty.
Yeah.
And they will do that for alittle while.

(04:12):
And then we will go into uhplaytime instruction.
So meaning we make it fun.
So they will learn about bikesafety, fire safety.
Uh, we actually have weathersafety, which is which is really
I'm really excited about thatone as well.
Uh, we will learn about watersafety, uh, vehicle safety, home

(04:33):
safety.
So really kind of the gamut ofthe safety uh things that kids
do learn in school, but in anexpanded version and then also
in an immersed experience too.

unknown (04:44):
Yes.

SPEAKER_02 (04:45):
Chance to um take some time and really go through
all the movements and theactions.
So as a parent and seeingsomething like this come to your
community, what does that feellike?
You know, kind of removingyourself from, you know, kind of
hosting it, but for, you know,having a child.

SPEAKER_01 (05:00):
I wish that I would have had something like this
when I was younger.
One of the highlights that wehave coming is that uh our fire
department has been amazing inuh securing a smoke-filled
trailer so the kids will be ableto actually learn how to uh
navigate getting out of asmoke-filled room in a safe

(05:21):
environment.
And I've I've actually always,as even as an adult, wondered
what that would be like if I wasever faced with that, uh,
especially because I have uhassets in my home, such as my
child, that I would want to goback in to get, and they always
say don't do that.
So I'm actually looking forwardto as an adult as well, just to

(05:42):
learn how to navigate that aswell and ask questions.
Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (05:46):
And hopefully if uh parents are kind of considering
this for their kids, uh, what isthe age groups that we're really
looking for to target?

SPEAKER_01 (05:52):
Yep.
So we're targeting uh anywherefrom K to third grade uh in the
fall.
And we um there's the cost to ittoo.
We're charging$125.
Um we have some amazingcommunity partners that are
helping uh support that.
So if there's people in thecommunity that also want to get

(06:14):
involved, we are still lookingfor support.
And um we just are looking forkids that want to learn and grow
and have fun with us.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (06:24):
We're pretty excited um because this we want to see
this grow year after year.
So, and hopefully like buildingon that.
Where do you see it going in thefuture?

SPEAKER_01 (06:32):
Yeah, so our goal is to, because this is the first
year, we were we are only doingum, we're doing four days and in
the inaugural program, it willrun from Monday to Thursday.
Our goal is to build it to wherewe would have a morning uh
session uh from eight to elevenand then do a PM session from
like uh 12:30 to 3 so that wecan at least reach more children

(06:57):
uh throughout the community.
And, you know, hopefully thisyear we'll help get the word out
in doing so.

SPEAKER_02 (07:03):
Yeah, absolutely.
Um and it's been a couple yearsin the making, uh so very
excited to do this.
And as you had mentioned, a lotof the the community partners,
even um Helen DeVos Children'sHospital doing a melon drop,
just kind of showing the uhimpact of what it's like to have
a helmet in you know, in a in afall in an event for that.
So a lot of um uniqueopportunities for kids to

(07:24):
experience this safety.

SPEAKER_01 (07:26):
Yeah, and I'm really excited that they get to go in
and and try things out.
I mean, with the bus, likethey're so used to getting on
and off the bus.
But like I remember when I wasyounger, we actually had one day
where they um the bus garagetold our parents that, oh yeah,
we're gonna keep the kids forlike an extra half hour.
And I'm like, what are theykeeping us for?

(07:46):
Like we're already on this buslong enough.
Uh, but I remember we actuallywent to uh a uh parking lot of a
grocery store and they had usactually like run a drill of
getting off the bus and helpingeach other because uh we don't
realize it, but it's a big drop.
If you have to get out of theback of the bus, like that's

(08:07):
that's a huge drop, especiallyfor a small child.
And so even practicing that andthen really also coaching uh
because at that point in time wehad uh high schoolers would kind
of always sit in the back andthen obviously get the little
kids as you go forward on thebus.
And so even coaching them how tohelp the kids get off the bus
and stuff like that was it wasan experience and it's something

(08:30):
that I haven't forgotten.
And so I just want to be able tohelp provide that for our kids
in our community because it'ssomething that we don't do every
day.
Yes, or even year every year.
If you're yeah, like very ridingthe bus.

SPEAKER_02 (08:46):
So yes.
So all that information it canbe found at walker.city slash
safety town.
Again, June 22nd to the 25th.
These are morning sessionsinside Zinzer Elementary, and
just in general about theWalker's Community Engagement
Committee.
You've been for um serving on itfor five years.
If people don't know that thiseven exists, um Yeah, tell us

(09:08):
about that.

SPEAKER_01 (09:09):
Yeah, so the community engagement committees
uh sole pillar is to uh connectthe community and the community
members with the city, whetherthat be through our city assets
like the fire, place in fire anduh DPW, clerk's office, uh all
the offices that are within ourcity, uh really just helping

(09:31):
bridge the gap and buildrelationship with the community.
So not only do we help withevents like this, but we also
help with city events as well,whether we're volunteering or
putting the word out or evenengaging other community assets.
Uh we, you know, like theAmerican Legion or the Vine
Church, things like that, uh,where we're constantly bringing

(09:55):
people and groups of peopletogether to do things for uh the
community, which is an amazingthing.
But uh it's really been uh anamazing committee to be a part
of because we get to have avoice in the community as well.
And I I do realize that theother committees like for the

(10:15):
city do have a voice.
But we we get to see ours cometo fruition.
I mean, we we say safety townand here it comes, right?
So uh it's things like thatwhere it's it's been really
amazing to work with our citycommissioners and the mayor over
the years to really understandhow to make Walker a place, a

(10:36):
great place really to live,work, and grow.

SPEAKER_02 (10:40):
Love that.
So these are all volunteerresidents and we could always
use more folks on it as well.
Just head to walker.city, findinformation about being part of
that committee.
So, Jenna, we're very excited tofinally see this idea come to
fruition.
Thank you for all theinformation and your work as
well on the community engagementcommittee.
Thank you.
It's my pleasure.
Yes, and we thank you for tuningin.

SPEAKER_00 (11:00):
Thank you for joining us for this episode of
the Maiden Walker Podcast.
If you have comments orquestions about this podcast, or
if you have suggestions forfuture episodes, we'd love to
hear from you.
Please drop us an email atpodcast at walker.city.
Maiden Walker is the officialpodcast of the city of Walker,
Michigan.

(11:20):
You can find Maiden Walkerwherever you get your podcasts.