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NEWS ADVISORY

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue


Service
An Internationally Accredited Public Safety Agency
Steven E. Lohr, Fire Chief
Public Safety Headquarters, 100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 0!"!

Public Information !ce
Phone# $0%"""%$"$ Media &ine# $0%"""%$$ 'ollo( us on )(itter *M+',S
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 24, 2014
Slow Down, Watch Out. Kids Ahead!
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Montgomery County, MD - - - Chilren !"ross the region !re he!ing #!"$ to s"hool !n %ire Chie&
Ste'e Lohr is !s$ing !ll ri'ers to e(er"ise e(tr! "!ution !n #e !lert !s the s"hool ye!r #egins) *S!&ety
is our to+ +riority) ,ith s"hools #!"$ in session, ri'ers shoul !llo- e(tr! time !n #e on the loo$-out
&or "hilren !t interse"tions !n in neigh#orhoos,. s!i Chie& Lohr) *Aition!lly, !s ! m!tter o& s!&ety
!n "om+li!n"e -ith l!-s, ri'ers !re remine to +ut their "ell +hones o-n !n re&r!in &rom t!l$ing
or te(ting -hile #ehin the -heel).
%or Dri'ers:
/e !lert !n slo- o-n) Elimin!te !ny istr!"tions insie your "!r so you "!n "on"entr!te on the
ro! !n your surrounings) 0ut o-n your +hone !n ne'er te(t -hile ri'ing) Loo$ing !-!y
&rom the ro!-!y &or 1ust t-o se"ons ou#les the "h!n"e o& #eing in'ol'e in ! "r!sh)
0!ssengers shoul -e!r ! se!t #elt !n2or rie in !n !ge !n si3e-!++ro+ri!te "!r s!&ety se!t or
#ooster se!t) Chilren o& !ll !ges !re s!&est -hen +ro+erly restr!ine in the #!"$se!t o& ! 'ehi"le)
E(er"ise e(tr! "!ution !s you he! out to -or$ !n #e on the loo$out &or s"hool #uses) M!ny
#us routes or s"heules "h!nge e!"h ye!r !n you m!y en"ounter ! s"hool #us or sto+ -here
you m!y h!'e ne'er seen one #e&ore)
S"!n #et-een +!r$e "!rs) 4e!rly 40 +er"ent o& "hil +eestri!n &!t!lities o""urre #et-een the
hours o& 4 +)m) !n 5 +)m), mostly !t non-interse"tion lo"!tions, !""oring to 4!tion!l 6igh-!y
Tr!&&i" S!&ety Aministr!tion) Chilren "!n 7ui"$ly !rt out #et-een +!r$e "!rs or other
o#1e"ts !long the ro!-!y) Motorists shoul +!y "lose !ttention not only !t interse"tions, #ut
!long !ny resienti!l ro!-!ys -here "hilren "oul #e +resent)
T!$e e(tr! time -hen m!$ing ! right turn on ! re light !n #e on the loo$out &or +eestri!ns)
S"hool 8ones: Slo- o-n !n #e es+e"i!lly !lert in resienti!l neigh#orhoos !n !roun
s"hools) /e !lert to "hilren !s you #!"$ your 'ehi"le out o& your ri'e-!y or e(it your g!r!ge)
E(+e"t el!ys ne!r s"hools, +l!n !he! !n !llo- e(tr! time to re!"h your estin!tion)
S!&ety on the ro! is es+e"i!lly im+ort!nt &or *ne-. ri'ers th!t m!y #e ri'ing to high s"hool
&or the &irst time)
Reminers &or 0!rents !n Chilren:
/e re!listi" !#out your "hil9s +eestri!n s$ills) Chilren !re not !l-!ys !-!re o& their
surrounings !n m!y !rt into tr!&&i" !ssuming ri'ers -ill see !n sto+ &or them) C!re&ully
"onsier -hether your "hil is re!y to -!l$ to s"hool or -!it &or the #us -ithout !ult
su+er'ision !n -!l$ the route -ith your "hil #e&oreh!n)
Te!"h "hilren to !l-!ys "ross the street !t "orners, using tr!&&i" sign!ls !n "ross-!l$s !n loo$
le&t, right !n le&t !g!in #e&ore "rossing) Chilren m!y h!'e i&&i"ulty g!uging the ist!n"e !n
s+ee o& !n !++ro!"hing "!r, !n m!y not re"ogni3e !n re!"t to +otenti!lly h!3!rous
situ!tions)
I& tr!'eling to s"hool #y #i$e, o#ey the rules o& the ro! !n -e!r ! helmet) 4ot only is it the
sm!rt thing to o, it is !lso the l!- in M!ryl!n)
/e sure th!t your "hil $no-s his or her +hone num#er !n !ress, your -or$ num#er !n
-hen to "!ll :11 &or emergen"ies)
;nly ri'e or +!r$ in !uthori3e !re!s -hen +i"$ing u+ or ro++ing o&& stuents !t s"hool)
/e ! goo neigh#or) Res+e"t +ri'!te +ro+erty !n !l-!ys #e on your #est #eh!'ior -hile -!iting
&or the #us)
S"hool /us S!&ety < ,h!t Motorists Shoul =no-:
All motorists !re re7uire #y l!- to sto+ -hen the re lights on #uses !re &l!shing) 0!ssing ! s"hool #us
-hen the re lights !re &l!shing is not only illeg!l it is !lso one o& the #iggest thre!ts to stuent s!&ety)
Motorists shoul #e !-!re th!t the re &l!shing lights !n the sto+ sign m!y #e eng!ge shortly !&ter the
!m#er lights !re on) >ehi"les tr!'eling in the s!me ire"tion !s the #us !re !l-!ys re7uire to sto+) In
M!ryl!n, the l!- st!tes th!t 'ehi"les must "ome to ! "om+lete sto+ on #oth sies o& the ro!-!y i&
there is no +hysi"!l i'ier or #!rrier) >iol!tions "!n result in ! "it!tion !n &ine)
6ome Alone
0!rents nee to "!re&ully "onsier the +ros !n "ons o& h!'ing ! "hil st!y home !lone #e&ore2!&ter
s"hool) /e &!mili!r -ith l!-s !n "hil +rote"ti'e +oli"ies in your 1urisi"tion !n, #e"!use "hilren
m!ture !t i&&erent r!tes, your e"ision shoul not #e #!se on !ge !lone) Chilren shoul m!ster
im+ort!nt s!&ety s$ills #e&ore st!ying home !lone) /e sure to m!$e !n +r!"ti"e ! home &ire es"!+e +l!n
th!t in"lues ! esign!te *s!&e. !re! outsie -here e'eryone -ill meet i& the smo$e !l!rm souns !n
ensure they $no- -hen !n ho- to "!ll :-1-1 in !n emergen"y) ?n!ttene "oo$ing "ontinues to #e the
le!ing "!use o& home &ires in Montgomery County !n &ire&ighters strongly re"ommen h!'ing !&ter
s"hool sn!"$s on h!n th!t o not re7uire "oo$ing) Chilren shoul only use $it"hen !++li!n"es -hile
uner "lose !ult su+er'ision) Aition!l s!&ety ti+s "!n #e &oun on our -e#site !t m"&rs)org2m"s!&e)
%or the l!- in M!ryl!n
Se"tion @-501 +ro'ies:
A!B A +erson -ho is "h!rge -ith the "!re o& ! "hil uner the !ge o& 5 ye!rs m!y not !llo- the "hil to
#e lo"$e or "on&irme in ! -elling, #uiling, en"losure or motor 'ehi"le -hile the +erson "h!rge is
!#sent !n the -elling, #uiling, en"losure or motor 'ehi"le is out o& the sight o& the +erson "h!rge
unless the +erson "h!rge +ro'ies ! reli!#le +erson !t le!st 1C ye!rs ol to rem!in -ith the "hil to
+rote"t the "hil)
I& you nee !ssist!n"e -ith &ire es"!+e +l!nning or o#t!ining smo$e !l!rms, "!ll C11 to s"heule ! &ree
"he"$-u+ #y &ire !n res"ue ser'i"e re+resent!ti'es) To le!rn more !#out -h!t you !n your &!mily "!n
o to #e s!&e ye!r-roun, 'isit the Montgomery County %ire !n Res"ue Ser'i"e -e#site
!t ---)m"&rs)org2m"s!&e)
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