Chillicothe R-II FFA Students Helped Facilitate the Event

CHILLICOTHE – More than 140 Livingston County fourth-grade students spent Thursday, September 18, learning how to recognize and handle potential hazards at home, on the farm or ranch, and throughout rural communities.

The Livingston County Health Center’s Progressive Agriculture Safety Day brought together students from Chillicothe Elementary School, Livingston County R-3 (Chula), Southwest Livingston County R-1 (Ludlow), and Bishop Hogan School. Through nine interactive sessions, students gained practical knowledge designed to help them take responsibility for their own safety—and to share those lessons with family and friends.

“Hands-on activities led by local community members and field experts gave students the opportunity to learn safety and health practices they can use for life,” said Cathy Ripley, Community Health Worker and Safety Day coordinator. “We encourage them to take what they’ve learned home to reduce risks for themselves and those around them.”

Topics included:

• Fire safety;

• Hunting and firearm safety;

• Poison awareness ;

• ATV and UTV safety;

• Electrical safety;

• Grain bin safety;

• Tractor and PTO safety;

• Seatbelt awareness; and

• Water safety.

Ripley credited the event’s success to the generous support of local organizations and volunteers. Station presenters included the Missouri State Highway Patrol, University of Missouri Extension, Chillicothe Police Department and Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Chillicothe Fire Department, Missouri Department of Conservation, Farmers’ Electric Cooperative, and Missouri Farm Bureau.

Several community partners also provided items for the students’ take-home bags, including Saint Luke’s, BTC Bank, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Department of Conservation, University of Missouri Extension, Livingston County 4-H, Farmers’ Electric Cooperative and the Missouri Poison Center.

The event was held at the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center Campus in Chillicothe. Chillicothe FFA members assisted with setup and guided student groups throughout the day.

Progressive Agriculture Safety Day is part of the Progressive Agriculture Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to “provide education, training, and resources to make farm, ranch, and rural life safer and healthier for all children, their families, and their communities.” The Foundation supports local Safety Day programs across North America.