TRAVERSE CITY -- First responders have a new tool in their toolbox -- books for children.
Children facing the trauma of a car accident, fire, domestic dispute or other frightening situation may find comfort in books through a gift to area fire departments by With Wings and a Halo -- R.E.A.C.H. a Child.
"Too often children are standing by with teary eyes, watching everything going on," said Rebecca Thomas, Michigan executive director of the national program that equips emergency vehicles with a packet filled with 10-12 donated books geared for toddlers to teens.
Thomas said her own children could have benefited from the program, remembering that they watched as she was rescued from her vehicle after they were involved in a serious car accident a year ago.
"Books can calm, comfort and distract children from whatever emergency situation they are facing," said Thomas, who presented more than 40 packets of books to five area fire departments including Blair Township, Traverse City Fire Department, Grand Traverse Rural, Peninsula and Grand Traverse Metro, Friday at Fire Station 1 in Traverse City.
"It is fitting that the launch of the program in Michigan takes place at Fire Station 1," said Thomas, noting that more than 50,000 books have been distributed in nine states in the 15 months since the program was established in Wisconsin by children's book author and publisher Paul Scott Gilbertson and his wife Chris.
Thomas hopes the program in Michigan will be met with the enthusiasm that it has found in Wisconsin, where more than 4,000 squad cars and ambulances in all 72 counties are equipped with the red packets of new and nearly new books.
"We are really excited that With Wings and a Halo chose the Grand Traverse region to roll out the program in Michigan," said Pat Parker, fire chief of the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department.
"It is an outstanding program that we are proud to be part of," Parker said.
