Gigi Krachenfels ReportingCHAPEL HILL – Firefighters from the Chapel Hill Fire Department are now being trained in the prevention of child sexual abuse.
Seventy members of the fire department attended the Darkness to Light (D2L) Stewards of Children Workshop, held by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA. The workshop instructs participants how to recognize, respond, and prevent child sexual abuse.
D2L Prevention Specialist Tricia Smar says working with the fire department was a great way to build awareness.
“They’re focused on prevention, they’re focused on injury prevention and in turning intention into action in the community,” Smar says. “It just really seemed like a natural fit because they are leaders and people look to them for setting the tone for safety.
Smar says she hopes the program will expand statewide so all community members can be reached.
“We’re starting from the ground up, and we are working on getting some higher level folks involved,” she says. “We have one of the premiere programs and to get a statewide initiative in North Carolina would be the ultimate.”
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA offers the Darkness to Light Workshop free to the public. You can register for the program online by visiting http://www.chcymca.org/d2l/
