Safety Seminar educates J1 students on American Laws
Exchange Students
DELAWARE – The Town of Bethany Beach held a Safety seminar to educate all of the J1 students that have come into town. The town says they understand students can experience a stressful cultural change in an unfamiliar environment, and they want to make students as comfortable as possible.
J1 Students
Eymen Duyar, who shares his excitement about being in a new country, is a 20-year-old exchange student from Turkey and has only been here 4 days. He needs a bike to go back and forth to work and so his employer sent him to the seminar. “I’m so excited also I’m so happy I’m here in this place. I like the America.”
Pedestrian and Bike Safety
Bethany Beach Police Chief Patrick Foley says this is a necessity for all exchange students. “For the J1 students that arrive to our country, most of them come here with no familiarization of American Laws and Safety. So, we want to teach and get ahead of the issues so they can have a safe summer.” Pedestrian and Bike Safety is also something that can be confusing for the students, according to Chief Foley. “Most of the countries, that travel on the opposite sides of roads, they don’t have safety approaches to towns in the countries they come from, they’re not used to bicycle riding, so we try to teach them.”
Hand-Only CPR
Many organizations partnered with the town including Sussex County EMS techs, who shared life-saving tips with the students. John Haynie showed us what’s required for hands-only CPR. “So, we just find our landmark, put our hands in the right place, and just start doing it.., we teach them to go for 2 minutes or until someone relieves them.”
Rip-Tide Warning
Beach safety is another top priority, and Bethany Beach Patrol explained rip tides, and how they could be deadly. “So, what a rip current is, it’s a channel of water that’s flowing away from the shore and it looks calmer, and it’s discolored… In order to get out of a rip current, you need to swim sideways, and then come back into the shore. You want to swim parallel to the shore.
Be Safe & Have Fun
Most students arrive in June and are expected to stay until September. Officers say they will do whatever they can to make sure students have a safe summer. J1 Students are required to work and follow safety protocol, and if they don’t, they can be sent back to their respective counties. Chief Foley says they want students to enjoy themselves and not be afraid to speak to one of the officers. “We’re very friendly, we’re very approachable people, and we want them t have the best summer that they can have at Bethany Beach.”
