GUERNSEY – The Town of Guernsey held its annual Summer Safe Kids Day on June 2 at the Guernsey pool park where kids learned about a variety of summer safety things, such as using proper sunscreen, limiting their exertion during the hot summer days and how to properly wear a life jacket.
This year the Summer Safe Kids Day was sponsored by Tri-City Parks and Recreation District with Platte County Public Health in conjunction with Platte County Cares Coalition, Banner Health and other local community businesses.
Platte County Public Health nurse Maria Carey, who was dressed up in a sun costume, co-hosted a booth with Platte County Cares Coalition community prevention specialist Anne Petroski, about the dangers of too much sun-exposure and various other health concerns, such as heat exhaustion.
The pair discussed what the ultra-violent, or UV, index means and how to best protect your skin from potential harmful UV radiation during peak seasons and times during the day. The UV Index is a scale that forecasts how intense ultraviolet radiation is at specific locations, seasons and times of the day and it’s a tool used to understand the sun’s strength, and potential sun damage that can occur.
An index range of “1” poses a minimal risk while an index of “11” on up poses an extreme risk. The higher the numbers are on the scale, the greater the risk of sunburn and other sun-related damages.
If the UV index is greater than “3”, professionals recommend using protective sunscreen, wearing hats when possible and taking other safety precautions. 
“Pay attention to the UV index and make sure you take appropriate measures in the sun like wearing a hat, applying high SPF sunscreen, wearing sunglasses and finding plenty of shade to rest out of the sun under,” Carey said. “Also make sure to reapply sunblock at least every two hours, especially when you are wet.”
Carey taught kids their skin is the largest organ in their body and protects everything inside their body from their bones to their muscles and their other vital organs.
However, another potential risk facing children during the summer months is heatstroke, heat sickness and heat exhaustion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 9,000 children ranging from four years old to teens are treated for heat-related illnesses every year in the United States from the mid-May through the end of September. An average of 38 children, ranging from infancy through early teens, tragically die every year due to prolonged heat-exposure in hot vehicles. Since the government began tracking these deaths, roughly 1,125 children have lost their lives from being left in hot cars since 1998. In September 2017, a four-month-old Albany County infant died after being left in a hot car for roughly 10 hours in the city of Laramie.
Although an exceedingly rare occurrence in Wyoming, with only one reported vehicle heat-related pediatric death in Wyoming from 1990-2024, local law enforcement warns it could still happen and even if it doesn’t result in a death, it could result in life-long health implications.
According to data provided public health officials from the CDC and Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), roughly 55% of children are unknowingly left in vehicles, 25% of children gained access to a vehicle on their own, 15% of children were knowingly left in the vehicle and 4% of pediatric deaths from being left in hot vehicles were from some other or unknown circumstance.

The number of occurrences have been reduced since 2020 due to multiple factors, such as states getting tough on the issue at their state legislature; but recent data from the last two summers suggest the number of occurrences is beginning to spike once again. In fact, the summer of 2019 saw record-high occurrences of children being left in hot vehicles and subsequently a record-high number of pediatric heat-related deaths.
The highest percentage of heat-related pediatric deaths is among children under the age of one year old, which accounts for roughly 31% of all heat-related pediatric deaths. The same data suggest that 9.6 children per capita in Wyoming suffer long-term effects of prolonged heat exposure after every summer. Those incidents included extreme heat exhaustion, heatstroke, mild-to-extreme dehydration, and over exertion during the summer months.
Some lingering long-term health effects can include but are not limited to: damage to various organs such as kidney damage; neurological disorders; increased vulnerability to other illnesses, especially communicable or infectious diseases and respiratory illnesses; long-term vision damage or changes; cardiovascular conditions; diabetes-related conditions; and a number of complicated mental health conditions. 
A similar risk factor affecting the adult population in Wyoming is severe dehydration prompted by overconsumption of adult beverages while enjoying one of Wyoming’s summer getaway spots, including lakes. According to local public health officials, those cases tend to occur more frequently around holidays or town festivals.
“Get out and enjoy our beautiful Platte County weather – but do so responsibly with a designated driver, and be a role model for the kids,” Petroski added.
According to 2024 published data from the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WDOT) and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (WDCI), 6.55 drunk driving deaths per 100,000 residents were reported in 2023; the bulk of these deaths occurred during the summer months or around holidays. For the sixth consecutive year, 2017 through 2023, Wyoming remained ranked at the top of all the states in the nation as it relates to per capita drunk driving deaths.
The Guernsey Gazette reached out to WDCI regarding their annual crimes report which details crime at the county levels, including drunk-driving and related deaths. WDCI said the data is expected to be released mid-to-late July.
The Town of Guernsey deputy clerk Macoyia Molzahn had a booth at the Kids Summer Safe event with a raffle basket, which included a number of fun summer items. Some of the raffle basket items included a chair, pool noodle, a towel, bubbles, sunscreen, popsicles, sunglasses, water balloons, a toy water gun and other fun summer assortments.
When asked what summer safety message the town and Molzahn had for residents, she said, “Wear sunscreen!”
She added, “As much as you can, wear sunscreen and hydrate.”
Wyoming Park representatives from the Guernsey State Park Genevieve Halcomb and Tate Stoneking had a booth with live demonstrations for kids in choosing the appropriate life jacket and how to put them on properly.
“We are informing residents about the new ‘Life Jacket Loaner Station’ program at Guernsey State Park,” Stoneking said. “We are fortunate to work with Wheatland Boy Scout Troop No. 47 as part of an Eagle Scout project to create the ‘Life Jacket Loaner Station’ program.”
The Guernsey Gazette is working with both the state park to have a future feature story about this program and the Eagle Scout behind the project. The same program is being featured at Glendo State Park this summer but was installed by the park staff.
Platte County Hospital nurse Brittany Offe and her fellow nurses handed out water bottles and food to kids in attendance. Their message was simple: “Make sure to drink enough water and stay hydrated,” Offe said. “It’s too easy to get dehydrated and often, kids don’t understand that they are until it’s way past too late.”
The nursing staff simply want to see more kids enjoy their summer safely with less visits to the hospital due to dehydration.
The Wyoming Child and Family Development Early Childhood Services center director Danielle Noggle handed out popsicles, bubbles, balls and sidewalk chalk to families who stopped by her booth. Noggle said she was excited to be invited to the event and be a part of the bigger message of keeping kids safe during the summer months.
“I’m happy to partner with and be a valued member with members of our Platte County community,” Noggle said. “And our goal is to keep all kids safe this summer – but for me – to give parents a head start in thinking about early education opportunities, such as Headstart.”
Tri-City Parks and Recreation volunteers Caleb Christensen and Elizabeth Miller handed out chapstick and promoted a number of upcoming summer events and opportunities around town this summer. One thing the TCPR volunteers emphasized was summer pool safety. They were also handing out raffle tickets to two raffle baskets, one of which included an assortment of fun summer water toys and the other, summer tumblers and various gift cards.
When asked what summer safety message Parks and Rec wanted to get out to residents, Christensen said, “Hydrate or die-drate: drink lots of water.” Christensen emphasized the importance of routinely drinking water, even when you are not feeling hot or overheated.
Miller added to what he said by saying, “Don’t overexert yourself in the heat or sun – try to stay in your comfort zone during the summer months and heat.” She emphasized kids tend to ignore their limits during the summer heat and often push themselves too far.
The complimentary food for the event was donated by Super Foods and Ben’s Bar, and it was served by Tri-City Parks and Rec staff.