Fire no match for CSBA playground program partner
Published: December 8, 2008
When vandals set fire to a playground at Walnut Heights Elementary School only two weeks before students were to return to classes last August, school officials assumed that the children would be without a safe play area for up to eight weeks.
“The playground’s plastic sides melted and the rubber tile surfacing was a bit scarred, but the fire did not spread to the surrounding area,” said Stuart House, director of construction and maintenance for the Walnut Creek School District. “We were very thankful that no one was hurt, but with school starting in 15 days we were fairly certain that we would not have a playground for quite a while.”
But a happy ending to this unpleasant event was in store.
House immediately contacted Larry Moody of the National Playground Compliance Group, the service that had installed the recreational area last summer. It was one of the first projects completed under the California Playground Compliance Program, a partnership between NPCG and CSBA.
“From my first phone call and throughout our project, we were impressed by the focus and response of Mr. Moody and his team,” House said. “We went from thinking that we might be able to have a replacement playground in six to eight weeks to gaining a commitment to have it ready before school started. We were a little skeptical at first, but they did exactly what they said they would do, and we had a new, fully compliant playground installed before the doors opened for school.”
“This project is an excellent example of how we team with schools and CSBA to supply playground solutions that employ the best aspects of recycling, green technology, safety and accessibility,” Moody said. “Most importantly, we love that the kids never missed a day on the playground.”
Related link:
To find out more about the California Playground Compliance Program, click on District Services @ www.csba.org/Services.aspx.