EMS gives treats for traveling the streets safely

To encourage Campbell County residents to have a safe summer, Campbell County Health Emergency Medical Services is stopping children and families as they ride their bikes. Those wearing helmets are cited with a delicious incentive—a voucher for a free ice cream cone at The Ice Cream Café!

CCH EMS staff will distribute the coupons throughout the summer when they see kids wearing their helmets.

“Bicycle helmets are paramount in protecting children, as well as adults, from sustaining head injuries when involved in bicycle-related accidents,” says Christopher Beltz, CCH EMS Director. “Children, and some adults, may think that they are not going to get hurt, but it doesn’t take much to have a brain injury—something helmets can obviously prevent.”

According to Safe Kids Campbell County, more children ages 5 to 14 are seen in emergency departments for injuries related to biking than any other sport. Helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by 88 percent – yet only 45 percent of children 14 and under usually wear a bike helmet.

Check out some bike safety tips, including a video on how to make sure your helmet is fitted properly, at www.cchwyo.org/bike.