While the warm temperatures and lack of school makes summer a time of freedom and fun for children, it also presents them with a number of dangers that many are unprepared for.

Whether it’s a leg injury during a pickup game of basketball or a bonfire that goes out of control, kids often find themselves in perilous situation when they least expect it.

Thankfully, a few men and women in the area are once again stepping up to make sure kids have the skills to deal with these predicaments.

On Monday, the Cass County COA hosted the seventh annual Camp Safe Kids program at its headquarters in Cassopolis. This year, 32 children from around the area signed up for the day of safety education and activities, receiving instruction from COA members as well as from representatives from local fire and police departments and Midwest Energy Cooperative.

Organizing this year’s event is Sandi Hoger, leisure activities/special events director with the COA. Hoger started the event seven years ago, after hearing about a similar event aimed at teenagers, she said.

“In Kalamazoo, they had a program like this called Camp 911,” Hoger said. “I fine tuned that program and brought it here, directing it more for younger children.”

Participants in the program vary in age from 9 to 11 years old, she said.

“The kids have a very good time,” Hoger said. “We’ve had a lot of kids who have been back more than once.”

To start the morning off, COA Fitness Coordinator Brenda Harris taught the children some basic first aid and CPR techniques, such as how to put on and remove latex gloves, apply splints and gauze, and perform the Heimlich maneuver.

Harris has been working with the kids on the first aid portion of the program since it began, and enjoys giving the children hands-on activities to help reinforce her instruction, she said.

“The kids were super this morning,” Harris said. “They were very responsive and eager to participate, which is the challenge for programs such as these.”

In the afternoon, the kids were broken into four groups, rotating between stations manned by officials with Penn Township Fire Department, Dowagiac Police and Fire and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. The volunteers taught kids about bike, fire and boat safety, and also gave them a first-hand look at police’s K-9 unit.

Volunteers from the public sector have been an integral part of Camp Safe Kids since it’s inaugural run, Hoger said.

“They’re wonderful,” she said. “The local fire and police departments have been very helpful over the years.”

To cap off the day’s activities, representatives from Midwest Energy gave the children instruction on how to avoid dangerous power lines.

“They come and fry a hot dog on the line to show why you don’t touch them,” Hoger said. “It’s a really neat demonstration.”

In addition to the activities, the kids received a number of free safety-related gifts for signing up, including a free bike helmet provided by Penn Township firefighters.