Eyes were on the skies Aug. 17 as an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter landed in Middlefield to attend a special day in Geauga County.
Eyes were on the skies Aug. 17 as an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter landed in Middlefield to attend a special day in Geauga County.
Ohio Department of Transportation District 12 and Geauga County Safety Communities Coalition held its first Safety Day and Touch-A-Truck event at 14520 Tare Creek Parkway.
“The hope is that the community supports our efforts to spread awareness about safety when driving, biking and walking; and the effects of distracted driving, impaired driving, speeding; and the importance of seatbelt usage and obeying traffic laws,” said event organizer Emily Landis, Geauga Public Health educator and Geauga County Safe Communities Coalition coordinator. “The hope is that we can continue to build good relationships with the communities within Geauga County and engage adults and children enough that they think before they travel in vehicles, on foot, or when riding bikes.”
Additional event organizers included ODOT District 12’s Transportation Safety Planner Izzy Ciptak and Safety Consultant Charity Armstrong, who joined Landis in welcoming families inside the new building after meeting OSHP Sgt. Andrew Edinger to learn more about the patrol helicopter and take photos.
“She likes all the equipment,” said Jim Kovacs, of Burton, of his 2 -year-old daughter, Elza, as she inched in to gently touch the helicopter. “This is an excellent event and we have an excellent sheriff. We love living in Geauga County.”
Event participants included AAA East Central, Drug-Free Communities, Family First Council, the Geauga County Amish Safety Board, Geauga County Engineer’s Office, Geauga County Sheriff’s Office and K9 Unit, GPH, the safety communities coalition, OSHP and SWAT team, Middlefield police and fire departments, ODOT, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ravenwood Health, University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center and more.
“The GCSCC wants the community to know who they are, where residents can go for information regarding various safety concerns and where they can go to voice their concerns,” Landis said.
Ciptak walked over to thank the Amish safety board for their dedication to the county and day’s participation.
GPH partnered with UH Rainbow Injury Prevention Center in Cleveland to provide a car seat check and distribution to income-eligible families to sign up to receive a free car seat or booster seat.
“According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), while most parents and caregivers are confident that they have correctly installed their child’s car seat, almost half (46%), have been installed incorrectly,” Landis said. “As a child passenger safety technician, our goal is to provide the resources and education to ensure that children are safely restrained in vehicles to reduce injury. We are excited to help educate families in our community on choosing the right car seat for a child, installing the seat correctly and using the seat correctly every time.”
The event also held a Quick-Click Challenge competition, demonstrating the ease of putting on and taking off a safety belt.
“We decided to have a vehicle at our event with an opportunity for local agencies and safety day participants to participate in this fun challenge to promote seat belt safety and awareness,” Landis said. “We want our community to be reminded that wearing a seatbelt is the most effective way to protect yourself on the road.”
The new event was scheduled in coordination with children returning to school.
“It is a great time to remind those in the community to slow down for children walking or biking to school and to watch out for school buses as they are picking up and dropping off students,” Landis said. “With schools starting in the next few weeks, we can all use the reminders to stop for buses when they are picking up and dropping off, and to follow the laws when traveling through school zones.”
GCSO Chief Deputy Thomas Rowan emphasized drivers watch out in the school zones.
“Deputies will be stepping up their enforcement efforts in the school zones in the county and keeping an eye on our children to make sure they’re safe for the start of the school year,” Rowan said.
August also marks the NHTSA’s “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” high-visibility enforcement campaign through Sept. 2, which includes Labor Day weekend, where there will be increased law enforcement and messaging nationally about the dangers of driving impaired.
“The goal is to deter impaired driving and prevent the tragedies seen on Labor Day weekends from happening in our community,” Landis said. “We hope to bridge any gaps between these agencies and the residents and bring the community together all while making it a safer place to live and travel.
“None of this would be possible if it weren’t for the multiple agencies and those who serve the communities within Geauga County,” he added. “We would like to thank each agency and their representatives for their dedication to Geauga County and the safety of the residents.”













