City working on safety solution for inclusive orbit at Firemen’s Park News Staff Fri, 03/01/2024 - 1:06 pm
- (THE GRAHAM LEADER | ARCHIVE PHOTO) The inclusive orbit playground equipment at Firemen’s Park which will be receiving a rubber strip along the gap as a safety measure. The Inclusive Orbit includes a spinning platform, similar to a merry-go-round, but is flush to the ground to allow for inclusive access.
- (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Jacob & Martin Project Manager Tristan King speaks with the Graham Parks Department Board of Directors during their meeting Thursday, Feb. 28. King spoke with the board on project updates at Firemen's Park and the status of the equipment at the playground.
Thomas Wallner editor@grahamleader.com
The city of Graham is working with its engineering firm Jacob & Martin to develop a safety solution for a piece of new playground equipment at Firemen’s Park involved in an accident at the beginning of January.
The Graham Parks Department Board of Directors met Thursday, Feb. 28 to discuss the options with Jacob & Martin Project Manager Tristan King. The Graham City Council met the following day and discussed adding a strip for the inclusive orbit after it was reinstalled Tuesday, Feb. 1 by representatives from Child’s Play, Inc.
“They took it completely out (and) basically started over. It is within tolerance, but there is a gap large enough that you can put things inside that gap. We’re hoping that this rubber strip will attach to the outer ring and then overlay the inclusive orbit and still allow it to spin,” Mayor Alex Heartfield said. “Hopefully, if this works, it will prevent not just fingers from going into but also rocks and debris that would wear and tear on the equipment over time. We think that this is a viable option for this if it can be installed and still allow the (inclusive orbit) to spin freely.”
The Inclusive Orbit includes a spinning platform, similar to a merry-go-round, but is flush to the ground to allow for inclusive access.
According to City Manager Eric Garretty, when the equipment was reinstalled the gap remained with the newly installed orbit, but the company said it met standards and was present on their other installations. He advised in both meetings that the addition of the strip would potentially void the warranty.
“It will likely void the warranty on that piece of equipment just because we are modifying it but I think it is worth it to have it,” Heartfield said.
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 mayor said the city is hopeful the ribbon cutting will be held Saturday, April 27 along with one for the currently in-progress dog park at Firemen’s Park.
The equipment became accessible to the public in early December. 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.
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