Hands shot up around the room and eager fourth-graders bounced in their seats when Kent Dold from John Deere asked for volunteers to try and “beat the clock” during a Progressive Farmer Safety Day Camp Feb. 26 in Robertsdale.One by one the confident youngsters tried unsuccessfully to snatch a sheet of paper from mid-air as it fell to the ground. Dold then explained that in the time it took for the paper to drop, a child’s arm or leg could be twisted around a power takeoff (PTO) shaft of a tractor nine times. The sobering demonstration did not squelch the enthusiasm of the students, who all believed their reflexes to be superior to those of their classmates. Still, Dold and the Baldwin County Young Farmers, who hosted the safety camp, hope such activities will encourage the children to be more cautious around farm machinery and other rural hazards.”It may not be but one or two, but we feel like this program will save lives,” said Baldwin County Young Farmers Chairman Jamie Fidler. “These kids are learning life-saving skills they can use whether they live on a farm or in town.”Dold said he has represented John Deere at safety camps from Texas to Alabama, and each time he’s amazed at how many children say they have either driven or ridden on a tractor. “It’s a little bit alarming,” Dold said. “When I asked these kids how many have driven a tractor, about half raised their hands. But almost all of them said they’ve ridden on one.”We hope by teaching these kids about tractor safety, PTO safety, and ROPS (rollover protective structures), they will be more careful around machinery, and they may even help educate their parents. Safety is always our first priority at John Deere, and every opportunity I have to promote safety, I take it.”Fidler said more than 350 fourth-graders from Baldwin County attended the safety camp, which was sponsored by about 40 local businesses and organizations. During the five-hour event, the students participated in safety and health workshops about all-terrain vehicles, electricity, fire, tractors, animals, water, sun and firearms. Each student received a safety camp T-shirt and grab bag filled with everything from earplugs and pencils to a child identification kit and Alabama-grown peanuts.Fidler said this is the fourth year the Baldwin County Farmers Federation’s Young Farmers group has sponsored the event.”It started as one of our Young Farmers’ projects, and it has grown from there. It makes us feel good to be able to spend the day teaching these kids some basic safety skills,” Fidler said.Ashley Kucera, who teaches fourth grade at Robertsdale Elementary School, has brought students to the safety camp every year it’s been offered. She said the Young Farmers do an outstanding job of coordinating the event.”The Young Farmers are so giving. They give each kid a T-shirt; they feed them; and they teach them life skills they need,” said Ms. Kucera. “One of the best parts is the ‘911 Protocol’ workshop. The kids learn how to call 911, and what information to give the operator. I was amazed how many of my kids didn’t know their 911 address–they just knew their P.O. box number.”Because of the safety camp, Ms. Kucera said she now does a classroom unit in which each student is required to memorize his or her 911 address. The students also study electrical safety, and have follow-up discussions about what they learned at safety camp.”We love coming here,” said Ms. Kucera. “Every year I look forward to them calling and saying it’s time for Farm Safety Day Camp.”Sharon Cooper of Elsanor Elementary School in Baldwin County shared Ms. Kucera’s enthusiasm for the event.”It makes the students more aware of safety and their surroundings–especially since so many of the kids live on farms and are around tractors and machinery,” she said. “We had a survey (class) about all sorts of safety, and afterward, we have a follow-up unit. It works well with our science curriculum.”Specific workshops included a presentation by Baldwin EMC, in which figurines named “Leon Neon” and “Lightning Liz” glowed with electrical current when they touched a downed electrical wire or made the mistake of digging before calling to get the cooperative to locate power lines. A similar workshop was conducted by Riviera Utilities.Area horse owners and the Baldwin County Extension System office conducted a workshop on animal safety, while other volunteers taught a class on firearm safety. A local ATV dealer also taught the students about four wheeler safety, and the Robertsdale Volunteer Fire Department was on hand to provide information about fire prevention.Although rain forced the Young Farmers to move the event inside this year, Fidler said the presenters did an excellent job of adapting their presentations to the classroom.”We really appreciate our sponsors and presenters for working with us to provide this opportunity for the students,” Fidler said. “We hope that after attending the safety camp these kids will be more cautious and pay more attention when they are around tractors, electricity, firearms and animals. If it saves one life or prevents one child from being injured, it is worth the effort.”