Playground equipment repair, testing begins at Firemen's Park News Staff Fri, 02/02/2024 - 9:27 am
- (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Child's Play, Inc. work Thursday, Feb. 1 on the Inclusive Orbit which was involved in an accident which occurred at the beginning of January where a 5-year-old Throckmorton girl was injured and transported to Graham Regional Medical Center.
- (TC GORDON | THE GRAHAM LEADER)
- (ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The Inclusive Orbit at Firemen’s Park after an accident occurred at the beginning of January which sent a Throckmorton 5-year-old to the hospital.
Thomas Wallner editor@grahamleader.com
Repairs to a piece of playground equipment at Firemen’s Park began this week in response to an accident at the beginning of January where a 5-year-old Throckmorton girl was injured.
Graham City Manager Eric Garretty announced Thursday, Feb. 1 that repairs on the Inclusive Orbit “merry-go-round” at Firemen’s Park, which became accessible to the public in early December, began with Child’s Play, Inc.
The city manager said the accident drew attention to the piece of equipment and the city has been working to develop a plan for repair or replacement.
“On Feb. 1, representatives from Child's Play (the City's contracted equipment installer) arrived at Firemen's Park to remove the merry-go-round for repair. The repair plan is to completely reconfigure the base of the equipment, reinstall the existing equipment and evaluate safety tolerances,” Garretty said in a release. “In the event the reinstalled equipment does not meet tolerances, the city manager will seek replacement of the equipment pursuant to warranty provisions.”
The Inclusive Orbit includes a spinning platform, similar to a merry-go-round, but is flush to the ground to allow for inclusive access.
Local first responders were dispatched to Firemen’s Park shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, following a report of a child having her fingers trapped in a piece of playground equipment.
According to a GPD incident report, the child had the fingertips of her right hand trapped in a narrow opening between the steel outer retaining ring and the standing platform of the equipment.
The officers, assisted by deputies from the Young County Sheriff’s Office, were eventually able to lodge a knife into the opening, along with multiple screwdrivers, and pry the standing platform enough so that they could free the child’s fingers. The officers were also assisted by bystanders, who prevented the equipment from moving.
The child was transported by GPD officers and a YCSO deputy to Graham Regional Medical Center, where she was later airlifted to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth.
Garretty and the project engineer conducted a walkthrough inspection Nov. 15, 2023 of the playground and determined that all equipment had been properly installed. According to Garretty, the walkthrough inspection was required prior to certification of final payment to the vendor.
It was announced during the Parks Department Board of Directors meeting in January that the city had decided to indefinitely postpone the new equipment ribbon cutting, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 6.
The city manager asked for patience as the city works to analyze if the feature is something that will remain in the new playground.
“The city of Graham seeks to provide a safe and enjoyable environment in its public parks. This issue highlights the need for constant vigilance in inspecting and assessing city facilities for safety and operability,” Garretty said Thursday. “The city respectfully requests the public's patience while these repairs are made at the Firemen's Park playground.”
Breaking News Off
Most Popular
Comments / 0