For Immediate Release:

November 2, 2021

Contact:

Julie Happy

Community Affairs Manager

Spokane Valley Fire Department

509.892.4155

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SPOKANE VALLEY FIRE LAUNCHES “BIKE RODEO” PROGRAM ONLINE

SAFE KIDS SPOKANE BRINGS BIKE SAFETY PROGRAM TO SVFD

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Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) and Safe Kids Spokane collaborated to bring bike safety to the SVFD Fire District.  A “virtual Bike Rodeo” was developed online for youth and families. The videos teach various aspects of bicycle safety and injury prevention.  Upon completion of the Virtual Bike Rodeo course, a person can submit a course completion checklist to Safe Kids Spokane to be eligible for a drawing to receive one of four bikes.

The virtual bike safety course can be found on spokanevalleyfire.com and features video courses such as:

• Brains on Bikes
• Bike Safety
• Get the Right Fit
• Correct hand signals
• Avoiding Obstacles
• And more

According to Safe Kids Spokane, “Always wear your helmet when riding your bike, scooter, skateboard, etc. Contact us if you need a helmet or other childhood safety information. We want you to ride and roll safely.”

Denise McCurdy Regional Nurse Manager Trauma Services PHC said, “Helmets save lives.  Providence Trauma Services offers a head injury prevention program, exclusively to 4^th grade students.  We are in our 12^th year and every 4^th grade participant receives a bike/scooter helmet from us. We have given out over 15,000 helmets in the last 12 years.  In 2020 we saw 75 kids with injuries related to bikes – this is down from the following year by 15%. 

As our mascot Stitch the trauma bear says, “use your head to protect your brain!” 

Here are Safe Kids World wide’s top five bike safety tips:

1. Wear a properly fitted helmet. It is the best way to prevent head injuries and death.
2. Ride on the sidewalk when you can. If not, ride in the same direction as traffic as far on the right-hand side as possible.
3. Use hand signals and follow the rules of the road. Be predictable by making sure you ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between cars.
4. Wear bright colors and use lights, especially when riding at night and in the morning. Reflectors on your clothes and bike will help you be seen.
5. Adults, ride with your children. Stick together until you are comfortable that your kids are ready to ride on their own.

About Spokane Valley Fire Department
The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) serves a population of 125,000+ over 75-square miles, including the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Millwood, as well as surrounding unincorporated areas. In 2020, our cross-trained Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics responded to more than 18,700 emergency calls.

Established in 1940, SVFD is committed to pursuing excellence and is distinguished as an accredited agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), and by SVFD’s Class 2 fire insurance rating from the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau

Connect with SVFD at: spokanevalleyfire.com. For department news, safety information, and timely updates, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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