Lima Noon Optimist Safety City
Before the current Optimist Safety City was conceived, Officer Willis Meier conducted safety lessons with the kids during the summer in a couple of different school parking lots around Lima. In 1972, Officer Meier conceived the idea of a permanent location for an area to teach kids safety , but there was no money available to carry out this dream. Both the Lima Noon Optimist Club and Officer Meier worked on the project and, in 1978, the Optimist Safety City was built at it’s current location, 700 S. Collett Street, on land donated by the City of Lima. Much of the Optimist Safety City was built by the Ohio National Guard, under the leadership of Lt. Joe Bowsher, who was then a member of the National Guard.
After Officer Meier’s retirement in 1985, Officer Bob Butler took over the Optimist Safety City and continued to add many mini-buildings to the sight. He worked hard to teach child safety to the children of Lima and Allen County. Upon Officer Bob’s retirement, I was assigned to the Optimist Safety City in 2000, and I had big shoes to fill, literally and figuratively ( Officer Bob is 7’00” tall ). Over the past several years, the Optimist Safety City has integrated many updates to the programs we present during the summer, as well as school year field trips and various programs offered within the schools in the City of Lima. In 2006, we adopted the radKIDS Personal Empowerment Safety Education Program, which is one of the most state of the art child safety training programs available in the United States.
As I think back over the years, I realize what a tremendous impact the Optimist Safety City has had on my three children, who are now into the reality of adulthood. In my family alone, my now-adult children were influenced by two of the first Lima police officers that navigated the Optimist Safety City in the early years. There were many fond memories of the Optimist Safety City for my oldest daughter, who attended it during Officer Meier’s reign, and for my middle daughter and youngest son, who attended during the tenure of Officer Bob. They also remember the great Inspectors from the Lima Fire Department, Tom O’Brien and Ken Lucas, who were part of Officer Bob’s crew at the Optimist Safety City.
I have been blessed to carry on the tradition of Willis Meier and Bob Butler by being placed in charge of the Optimist Safety City, and am even more blessed to be able to instruct my own grandson in the ways of safety. I hope that he will have the same memories of a Lima tradition that will continue throughout his lifetime that my children experienced.
Through the years, the Optimist Safety City has given thousands of children those wonderful memories that act as a continual reminder of the importance of being smart and safe, no matter how old they are. It is something they can pass onto their own children. The tradition in child safety training for the Lima Police Department and Lima Noon Optimist Club for the many years of the Optimist Safety City’s existence has been based on the following philosophy: Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I will understand!
In addition to the fine people of the Lima Noon Optimist Club, I am honored to work with LFD Inspectors’ Chris Jackson and Warren Pughsley, St. Rita’s Neighborhood Nurse Denise Barnes, and my wife Deb, who volunteers countless hours at the Optimist Safety City.
A major renovation of the Optimist Safety City will be underway soon. The project will provide a facility for 21st Century child safety training for our children. The Lima Noon Optimist Club is taking the lead on the project after securing a 25 year lease from the City of Lima on the existing Optimist Safety City facility. The plans call for approximately 86 new mini replicas of familiar buildings in the area, as well as a full size, two-story house for a multitude of child safety training scenarios. A new indoor training/storage building, expanded classroom space, and a new play area are also planned. The new facility is to receive curbs, sidewalks, renovated streets, and many other updates to add to the realistic atmosphere of a child size city.
The future of the Optimist Safety City is bright for generations of children to come. I know the Lima Noon Optimist Club is unwavering in their commitment to work in cooperation with the City of Lima, Lima Police Department, Lima Fire Department, and the community in making the Optimist Safety City one of the best child safety training facilities in the country. The training and memories each child is exposed to at the Optimist Safety City will last a lifetime in our children’s hearts and minds.
The full radKIDS program will run over several weeks during the Optimist Safety City Summer Academy, which is taught by certified radKIDS’ Instructors. The radKIDS training takes one week to complete which takes approximately 10 hours of training. The ages for the Optimist Safety City Summer Academy is for 5 - 7 year olds in a morning session, and 8-9 year olds in an afternoon session. Registration for the Optimist Safety City Summer Academy takes place the first full week of April ( Mon. – Fri. ) each year by calling the Optimist Safety City between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Registering early in the registration process is recommended since limited class slots fill up quickly. After registering by phone, a confirmation form will be sent out along with other forms that parents will have to have completed and signed, and bring with them the first day of class.
The Optimist Safety City also has field trips available during the school year for any pre-school or elementary school that wishes to take advantage of this opportunity. Selective components of the radKIDS Program is presented during the field trips, which includes riding bikes and going through a fire training smoke house. The Optimist Safety City also has selective radKIDS presentations that can be done at the schools in the City of Lima upon request, as well as the full radKIDS Program in those City of Lima schools that have the time it takes to complete the full program, and has the facilities available to conduct the extensive hands on training that’s required for the full radKIDS Program.
To contact Officer Dave Vastano at the Optimist Safety City you can call: 419-221-5269. You can also contact Officer Dave by e-mail at ( david.vastano@cityhall.lima.oh.us ).