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On Wednesday morning, they visited the Side by Side School in Norwalk.
Children met emergency responders, and learned lessons on the role of the EMS in their community, 911 awareness and safety and injury prevention. The session concluded with an ambulance tour for the kids.
"We come out to try to decrease the fear of having an ambulance having to come to a child's home or a child's school," paramedic supervisor Lynn Ryder told Daily Voice. "We let them see some of our equipment, see the ambulance. They're excited about this anyway, so if they sort of understand what we do a little bit more, hopefully they won't be as afraid.
"We try to reenforce safety - riding helmets when they bike, wearing seat belts, sitting in the back seat - in an attempt to try to prevent an unnecessary death or injury to the child," she said.
Injuries are the No. 1 cause of death among children. Motor vehicle accidents, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires, burns, falls, and sports are some of the most common ways children are hurt or killed.
Kids learn safety habits from their parents, and the program is designed to help children develop good habits that can last a lifetime, she said.
This is the 13th year that Norwalk Hospital's EMS providers have extended their outreach and public awareness efforts throughout May, which is also National Trauma Awareness Month.
Visits are also planned to Silvermine, Marvin, Fox Run, Jefferson, Brookside, Naramake and Cranbury schools.
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