Seattle Firefighters from Engine 29 will be at Alki Beach on Friday awarding children who are properly wearing helmets while bicycling, skateboarding and inline skating.

This summer, the Seattle Fire Department is once again teaming up with SAFE Kids Pierce County and fire and police departments in King, Pierce and Thurston counties to reward kids who are wearing their helmets while bicycling, skateboarding and inline skating. Firefighters will encourage children to wear their helmets by rewarding them for making a safe choice.

Firefighters will hand out Safety Citations to children who are properly wearing their helmets.The program will continue through the summer at Fire Stations throughout the City. Each citation entitles the child to a free child-size sandwich at participating Subway locations.

The goal of the program is to reduce the incidence of childhood head injuries.

According to the National SAFE Kids Coalition, head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle-related death and permanent disability. Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths, more than two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries.

The single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet.