Plainfield firefighters to teach
retention pond safety

After two children drowned last summer in an Indianapolis retention pond, the Plainfield Fire Department began developing a program to educate the public here about retention pond safety.

Ken Foster, fire marshall for the town, received approval from the Plainfield Town Council earlier this week to move forward with the implementation of such a program.

The program is called Water Awareness in Residential Neighborhoods, or WARN. It was developed by the Franklin Township Fire Department’s dive team, which is in the process of copyrighting the program.

Once completed, Foster said the Plainfield department will customize the program for the town but will continue to honor the township’s ownership.

Foster said the program will be presented to children in school and organization settings. It outlines a series of rules and tips to follow regarding retention pond safety, he said.

The message is taught by “Diver Dan,” and also informs the children that foreign objects that can cause entanglement exist in retention ponds. Foster said it is important to inform children that the ponds are made by developers during construction and may be used as a hiding place for leftover materials. The program contains a series of slides that show Diver Dan entangled in objects ranging from rope and netting to algae and wire.

He said warning signs will also be placed around area retention ponds as part of the program.

This is not the first effort made by the department since the accidents last summer. In the fall of 2000, water and ice safety guidelines were sent to Plainfield residents via water bills.

Robin G. Brangard, council president, said he hopes the program will be instrumental in saving lives.

“Retention ponds serve a good purpose and they work, but they are also attractive nuisances,” Brangard said.