KTNV (LAS VEGAS) — No matter the weather, crossing guards are the first faces kids see on their way to school, ensuring they arrive safely.
I stepped into the role of a crossing guard to experience the training, split-second decisions, and why the job is more than just stop and go.
Before the first bell even rings, work is already being done to keep children safe while walking to and from school.
"They don't even make it over the hood. They're invisible, so we're there to keep them visible. So that's the biggest thing safety, safety, safety. So as slow as you gotta go to come back," said Heather Topping, our crossing guard training supervisor for the day.
Along with two other trainees, I put on the neon visor, bright zip-up vest, and my head on a swivel to see all the traffic coming.
To see how crossing guards prepare for the first day of school, I learned the timing, technique, and responsibility that comes with wearing the vest.
"It's more than just stepping out with a sign saying, 'OK, let's go.' It's being vigilant. It's making sure these kids get across the street. It's making sure that you're safe, that these cars are stopped. There's so many things that go into play every time we step out there," Topping explains.
It's a job that takes an hour each morning and each afternoon, but those minutes could mean the difference between a safe walk home or sudden tragedy.
I learned quickly this isn't just about stopping cars. It's about being fully alert when you step on that crosswalk.
"Head on a swivel," is the mantra repeated during training – scanning every car and holding your ground so that every student can cross without fear.
The need is imminent, and people want to be there, rain or shine, in bright neon clothes.
"The kids safety takes priority... I think the crossing guards are very important, and I appreciate them. They get my grandson across the street every day. I know the process and what the training that they've gone through it's not just old people, you know, walking people across the street, you know, they've been trained to do this, and I didn't know that," Darlene said.
While not every school intersection in the Clark County School District will have crossing guards yet, each new brightly dressed guard represents someone willing to step in and protect the next generation.
On Monday, the first day of school, Arbor View High School had volunteer crossing guards walking kids to and from school.
After the death of McKenzie Scott, who died in May crossing the street outside Arbor View High School, the community has pushed for more safety improvements, including staffing crossing guards at middle schools and high schools, which the school district will be adding to certain schools.
WATCH | McKenzie Scott's mother speaks on the new safety improvements outside Arbor View
The Crossing Guard Company is holding another hiring event on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon at 4775 W Teco Avenue.
