Safety First: Crossing guard training program coming to Montrose in March

MONTROSE — Montrose residents can soon feel more confident about their children walking or biking to school.

The Colorado Department of Transportation, the Montrose Transportation Department and Colorado’s Safe Routes to School Program are funding a program called “Colorado Crossing Guard: Train The Trainer Instruction.” The program will be offered free in Montrose on March 6 at the Holiday Inn Express, 1391 S. Townsend Ave., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Officer Dale Ann Wright, of the West Valley City, Utah Police Department, will provide the training.

“She has administered the crossing guard program for over 25 years and is a uniformed police officer,” said Lenore Bates, SRTS program manager. “She has also worked with the National Safe Routes to School Task Force before, so I just felt she was the person to do this.”

The instruction program will aim to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety for not only students, but also the community. Those interested in the program will learn to implement proper cross guard training in the community, recruit volunteers and ways to hire proper candidates.

“When we did a survey state wide, we found that there are too many people out there who don’t have the proper tools when it comes to cross guard duties,” Bates said. “They didn’t use the right signs or didn’t know how to use equipment properly. We want to make sure everyone has the tools out there.”

The instruction program will be offered to school crossing guards, resource officers, school nurses, teachers, principals, health, fire and police professionals and the general public interested in improving safety.

While the program is being offered for free and for everyone, Bates said it would cost $1,500 to provide it in Montrose. The money will go toward Officer Wright’s travel and a lunch provided to participants.

Bates said she hoped the program would have an impact in Montrose and throughout Colorado. She said Montrose was picked to provide training to because she wanted to have a presence in the Western Slope.

“We hope to have a list of certified people who have been trained and will be able to continue the training to other communities,” Bates said. “I don’t want people to just come and take a training. I want them to be accountable.”

The program will also be offered in Fountain, Colo. on April 24.

You can contact Matt Lindberg via e-mail at mattl@montrosepress.com