Jake Harless, a firefighter from Springfield Township Fire/Springfield Fire Rescue, fits a helmet to one of the students. Photo provided

Approximately 500 Clarkston second graders left school ready for a safe summer with brand new bike helmets and a lesson in potentially life-saving seasonal safety advice from representatives of McLaren Oakland’s department of trauma services as part of its Safe Wheels and Heels program.
Susan Foss, a second grade teacher at Springfield Plains Elementary, appreciates the program’s goals.
“It’s so important for students to learn about safety and the timing is great since the kids are starting to get outside and on their bikes,” Foss said.
Less than half of children aged 14 years and younger routinely wear bike helmets, properly fitted helmets have demonstrated a reduced risk of head injury by 45 percent, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.
“As a result of the Safe Wheels and Heels program, the rate of head injuries reported and treated in our emergency department associated with riding bike, scooters and others has decreased dramatically,” said Courtney Berry, RN, BSN, manager of the McLaren Oakland department of trauma services and coordinator of Safe Wheels and Heels. “We are very proud to be able to work with our community in helping to save the lives of our children.”
To learn more about McLaren Clarkston’s life-saving emergency department, visit mclaren.org/clarkston.