Last week, second-grade students from Rocky Mount Elementary School participated in a field trip to the Cobb County Safety Village, a facility focused on safety education for young children. The event included the unveiling of a miniature Braves baseball stadium, but the main emphasis was on the educational experiences offered by the Safety Village.
Since opening in 2009, the Cobb County Safety Village has served as an interactive learning environment for second and fourth graders throughout Cobb County. The site features life-size buildings, a fire safety house, streets with functioning traffic signals and crosswalks, and mock storefronts—all designed at a scale suitable for children. The goal is to teach important safety skills in realistic settings.
Staffed by full-time firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, and police officers—many of whom have previous experience responding to emergencies—the Safety Village aims to prevent incidents before they occur. Michelle Fernanders, a firefighter and educator at the Village, said: “This is the best job in the world. We’ve all run the calls. Now, we get to be on the other side — preventing those calls from ever happening.”
The facility hosts daily field trips during the school year for public, private, and homeschool students. During summer months it offers camps and community programs targeting various age groups.
The approach emphasizes hands-on learning. At Sparky’s House—a fire safety exhibit—students are shown common household hazards that can lead to fires. “We have hazards set up, such as a hat on a lamp, having things in front of a fireplace, and a blanket on a space heater,” Fernanders explained.
Students also practice crawling under simulated smoke and climbing out of windows with firefighter assistance as part of emergency drills. These exercises reinforce routines that children can use at home. “It’s the muscle memory,” said Fernanders. “We tell them, then they do it. And then they remember.”
Marly Kowalcyk, who teaches second grade at Rocky Mount Elementary School and has attended multiple times with her classes stated: “We’ve been told a lot of the kids will go home and say ‘Mom, we need this,’ or we need to check the smoke alarms. It’s clear that this sticks with them.”
There have already been cases where children used skills learned at the Safety Village in real emergencies: one girl called 911 when her mother lost consciousness; another student performed the Heimlich maneuver on someone choking.
“It really shows the impact and that what you’re doing is amazing work,” Fernanders added.
The new Braves stadium replica at Safety Village was built through collaboration with the Atlanta Braves organization. In addition to serving as an attraction for visiting students—including appearances by Blooper, the team mascot—it provides opportunities to reinforce messages about healthy habits and physical activity while teaching helmet safety.
“We’ve always talked to kids about healthy habits, staying active, and helmet safety,” said Fernanders. “Now we have a fun space to reinforce those messages while they run the bases.”
During last week’s event several students wore Braves jerseys; one student threw out a ceremonial first pitch alongside Blooper. “It was amazing,” William said after participating in this moment.
Through these programs Cobb County Safety Village continues its mission of giving children practical knowledge—and confidence—to respond safely during emergencies.
