| Did
You Know? In the USA, 14 kids under the age of 20 are killed every day with a gun. |
Awards
& References: Instructor of the Year
| Each
year an Instructor of the Year award is presented to someone who has
been nominated as an outstanding instructor of personal safety for
children. The award winners are representative of the fine caliber
of people who have been trained in the use of the Be a
Safety Kid curriculum.
Instructors of the Year 2007
Eastern Region: 2007
Stacy DeMasi Stacy DeMasi, a deputy for the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office in Pennsylvania, has been named the 2007 Safety Kids Instructor of the Year: Eastern Region. Stacy’s role as deputy gets her involved in working with children in a variety of settings and programs, but she enthusiastically says that Charlie Check-First is her favorite unit to teach. Not only does she go into classrooms across the county, she has been a key presence at Safety Kids Camps for the past three years. During those camps, she presents lessons, supervises, and builds relationships with the children to let them know that law enforcement is really on their side. Fingerprinting and putting together personal IDs for the children is another activity that she has done at camp, as well as in numerous locations. Supporting personal safety is such an important issue to her that she volunteers her time with Safety Kids, Inc. in whatever capacity she may be needed. Last year she assisted with the professional production of a new DVD for the S.T.A.R. unit and this year is working on the major fundraiser. She seems to have time for whatever is needed of her; which may all change as soon as her new little addition is born in April. According to Judy Morrally, the Early Childhood Development director who nominated her, Deputy DeMasi “is dedicated, sincere, conscientious, motivating and hard-working. Stacy is kind and patient with the children. She answers all of their questions and never quits until she is sure that they have learned the information. I have had many different speakers come to my class and she by far the best at what she does. She is one-in-a million!” Thanks, Stacy, for all you have done for years.
Western Region: 2007
Joyce Nelson Joyce Nelson, an administrative coordinator for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado, has been named the 2007 Safety Kids Instructor of the Year: Western Region. Although her “official” job involves juggling the administrative demands of a large agency’s patrol precinct, Joyce was motivated enough to seek out and attend the Safety Kids training in Arizona, and then create a program for Colorado based on the Be a Safety Kid curriculum. She is true to the curriculum and effective in driving home the key messages of the program. Andrea Burns, the Community Relations Manager, states that, “Kids love her; they pay attention to her and laugh along with her engaging show.” Joyce has gone above and beyond classroom instruction. She has hand-sewn her own costume which features large red checks all over it! She wears this as she uses props and games that she created to instruct the children at many different locations. She works closely with three crime prevention deputies in a team-approach. They often split the groups into parents and kids. The kids stay with Joyce and the parent go with the deputies to another room. Each group gets appropriate training customized to them. Joyce also moonlights as “Kookie the Clown” and makes appearances where she promotes safety, hands out stickers and other items, and carries a huge foam telephone to remind children how to dial 9-1-1. She “uses the Be a Safety Kid/Charlie Check-First curriculum to guide her presentations and her interactions with children at community events. After she starting teaching the program, the feedback was so positive that two training sessions have been held in her county alone. At the last session she dressed up and shared some of her “tricks” and activities with the other instructors. It is a joy to work with Joyce and see enthusiasm and commitment!
Central Region: 2007
Joel Dhein Joel Dhein, a crime prevention officer from the Glendale Police Department in Wisconsin, for over 20 years, has been named the 2007 Safety Kids Instructor of the Year: Central Region. Officer Dhein was one of the first officers to implement the Be a Safety Kid program in southeast Wisconsin. He continues to promote the personal safety program for children in Glendale elementary schools, child care centers, youth groups, and civic groups in the area. His enthusiasm and creativity have taken his instruction beyond the classroom to include pod-casts on the “Police on the Scene with a Crime Prevention Lean”, as well as promoting the program on television news. In nominating him for the award, Captain Larry Rittberg, the Glendale Police Chief, states that “Joel should receive the award because of his continuous dedication and commitment to this program. His passion he shows when promoting the Charlie Check-First program is contagious to both students and parents.” In fact, Dhein is interested in obtaining the walk-around Charlie Check-First mascot costume so that Charlie can visit the children in a variety of locations and times. Joel is an excellent representation of Wisconsin, a state that has continuously endorsed the Safety Kids program for years through numerous police departments and schools. This was the first state (after Pennsylvania—the birthplace of Charlie Check-First) to wholeheartedly endorse the Be a Safety Kid program. In fact, after an attempted abduction of a young girl was thwarted, she told the police she knew what to do because of Charlie Check-First!
Co-Instructors of the Year 2006
Tracy Lindo Tracy has been a police officer
for 20 years; the first two years were with the West Deer Township
Police Department. While with the Lower Burrell Police Department
for the past 18 years he has served in the capacity of Patrolman,
Sergeant, Tracy is married (22 years) to his wife Susan and they have 4 daughters (Ashley, Alesha, Alexi, Allyson) and a grandson, Caden. Tracy is active with his church and enjoys spending time with his family as well as assisting with coaching some of his daughters’ many sporting activities. Tracy has been teaching the Charlie Check-First program since 1999, and immediately became a strong supporter. He has been on the Board of Directors for Safety Kids, Inc. since 2000. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
S. Jason Tarap Deputy Sheriff S. Jason Tarap is a 12 year veteran of Law Enforcement and has been employed with the Sheriff’s Office for the past 10 years. He serves as an instructor on all crime prevention and public relation topics and presentations. Deputy Sheriff Tarap has been certified in several police and sheriff tactics and is a certified Crime Prevention Officer and Community Police Officer through the U.S. Department of Justice, The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and the Western PA Crime Prevention Association. Jason is a recipient of the 2000 Concerned Citizens of Greater Pittsburgh “Peace Award” for his work in community based Crime Prevention presentations and programs throughout Allegheny County. He has also received awards from the Western PA Crime Prevention Association and The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Deputy Sheriff Tarap strongly promotes the Charlie Check-First program where ever he goes. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Scott Zinsmeister Scott Zinsmeister joined the Safety Kids Board in 2002 and has served as president since 2004. He has been a police officer since 1991 and has worked for Bethel Park Police Department since 1995. In September of 2001 he was appointed to the position of Crime Prevention Officer, and in 2004 was the recipient of the Bethel Park Police Merit Award. Scott is certified as an International Crime Prevention Specialist by the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners (ISCPP). He completed the Police Academy through Indiana University of PA and earned his bachelors degree in Administration of Justice and Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. He is married to Becky and enjoys home improvement projects, skiing, traveling, and ice skating. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Instructor of the Year 2005
Pat
Ziringer Pat works in several elementary schools in Allegheny and Westmoreland County, representing The Hope Center, a domestic violence agency. Charlie Check-First is incorporated in her curriculum of safe choices; Checking First before doing things or going places. She concentrates on safe relationships as she talks to the children on making ‘cool choices’ and ‘anti-bullying’.
The response from children and teachers is phenomenal. She is enthusiastic
in her approach and uses the Charlie Check-First puppet and other
tools to drive home the necessity of safety first in all things,
including the way we relate to each other. Pat has been doing this
work for more than three years and her zeal and dedication have
not waved. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Co-Instructors of the Year 2004
Chad D. Opicka Chad
has been teaching the Be a Safety Kid curriculum for the
past two years and has made a significant impact on the children
in first through third grades. “Chad has instructed area law
enforcement on the program and developed a lesson plan for their
use. Through his numerous presentations and networking, he has all
but eliminated the use of “Stranger Danger” in Northeast
Wisconsin. In 2004 he promoted the program through the news media
WBAY Channel 2, which highlighted the program and its effectiveness
in promoting personal safety. In addition to articles in the De
Pere District newsletter and school parent newsletters, he has incorporated
Charlie Check-First into the Greater Green Bay Safety Town and the
Superbowl of Safety. He is currently initiating a Precious Prevention
puppet program on safety topics, and will include Charlie Check-First.
“Officer Chad is a role model for children, teachers, parents,
law enforcement and the community... (and ) truly dedicates himself
to the safety and welfare of our youth. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Diane
Zebrine Diane
has taught the Be a Safety Kid curriculum for the past
five years in Kindergarten through Grade 3 and also references the
key concepts with students in Grades 4 and 5. She “enthusiastically
embraced the concept and the desire to make the program a reality.”
Diane and School Resource Officer, Tom Vulakovic, plan and teach
all components of the program. Diane makes every effort to collaborate
with the Officer to maximize the benefits of the program and she
consistently reflects on the concepts of the program and how they
can be transferred to other areas of need in her counseling role.
She is currently researching information for a personal safety page
on the District’s web site and will include the Safety Kids
logo and highlights of the Charlie Check-First program. Her nomination
was “embraced fully by the three Elementary Principals, Superintendent
and (the Assistant Superintendent)... She is ultimately committed
to fulfilling the needs of the students.
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