During the week of May 7, the Falcon Fire Protection District promoted bicycle safety for kids through its Bike Rodeo.Spokesman Matt Gibbs said, ìSafety is key. Think first before you ride without a helmet.îGibbs said firefighters often put a cantaloupe in a bike helmet and drop it to the ground to show kids that the cantaloupe stays intact inside a helmet. When they drop the cantaloupe without a helmet, it breaks open, much like the skull would. ìThe cantaloupe is hard on the outside and soft on the inside like your skull and brain,î Gibbs said.FFPD set up five bike rodeo stations. Gibbs described each station. At Station No. 1, firefighters offered tours of the fire truck and Flight for Life helicopter and provided a helmet-fitting station and a bicycle safety check, which included reviewing seat heights, chains, air in the tires, pedals and handle bars, spokes, dents, etc. At Station No. 2, two students entered a figure-8 track and practiced stopping at a stop sign. At Station No. 3, it was straight-line practice. At Station No. 4, students practiced on a snake track, zig-zagging through a line of cones to practice control and turning. At Station No. 5, students practiced riding slow for a certain distance without putting their feet down for balance.Firefighters Wes Tulli, Matt Gibbs, Jermaine Frye, Rob Reige, Nate Snyder, Mark Cowen and Jeremy Bramwell participated in the event.
