Girl scout troop makes paracord bracelets for emergency staff
The paracord items were presented to Police and Fire staff at the Girl Scouts’ Bronze Award Ceremony on June 25, at the Paso Robles Public Safety Center. Courtesy photo.
– Paso Robles Girl Scout Junior Troop 40017 recently presented Paso Robles Police Department and Emergency Services staff with emergency-rescue paracord bracelets – also called Survival Bracelets – key chains and lanyards, handmade by the troop of 10 fourth and fifth-grade girls.
The project was the last step in earning their Bronze Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. Girls earn the Girl Scout Bronze Award by completing a “journey” – identifying and then working to solve a problem they want to do something about- and then creating a “Take Action” project based on their observations of a local issue.
Troop 17 wanted to give back to their community in some way and settled on making paracord bracelets for the Paso Robles police and fire departments. They met with Police Chief Robert Burton and Fire Captain Ken Johnson to determine if the gift could be accepted, any restrictions with their uniforms and the number of staff in both departments. They then got to work completing 80+ paracord bracelets, key chains and lanyards.
Paracord is the material used in parachute cords and when the items are unwound they provide 10-foot lengths of cord that can withstand loads up to 500 pounds and be used for anything from a tourniquet to a sling to a rescue rope.
Earning the Girl Scout Bronze Award involves the time it takes to complete a Girl Scout Junior journey and a suggested minimum of 20 hours for each girl to build their team, explore their community, choose and plan their project, put their plan in motion, and spread the word to educate and inspire others.
The paracord items were presented to Police and Fire staff at the Girl Scouts’ Bronze Award Ceremony on June 25, at the Paso Robles Public Safety Center. Those present to receive their gifts expressed tremendous gratitude to the troop. “We are really honored that Troop 17 chose the Police Department and Emergency Services to be recipients of the paracord bracelets. The generosity from Troop 17 clearly demonstrates their commitment to our community,” said a representative from the department.
Troop Leader Sunny Bivin said, “When it came time to choose a community project for their Bronze Award, the girls immediately knew they wanted to do something for the police department. After meeting with Chief Burton they decided to make paracord bracelets for police and firefighters and they got to work making them all by hand. They loved visiting the police station and touring the fire house, but I think the best part was the real gratitude they got from the police officers and firefighters. A week after the ceremony, I received a photo from a policeman who had used his paracord bracelet at work, the girls loved that.”
For more information about the Girl Scouts, visit their website.
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