Pensacola Safety Managers Stress Holiday Safety Guidelines

Photo By Bruce Cummins | PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Stay Alive From Education (S.A.F.E.) Street Smart presenters Greg McCarty (left) and Natalie Brown, firefighter/paramedics from the Tampa Bay, Florida, area, explain driving hazards during the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) holiday safety stand down Nov. 21 in the Charles Taylor hangar onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. The S.A.F.E. Street Smart campaign, an interactive presentation centered around distracted driving, seatbelt use and driving under the influence was part of the Pensacola-area safety stand down. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Ian Loomis)  

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES

11.21.2018

Story by Bruce Cummins 

Naval Air Station Pensacola

PENSACOLA, Fla. - More than 5,000 service members and civilian employees attended the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola pre-holiday safety stand down sessions at the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) and the Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) Nov. 20 and 21 onboard NAS Pensacola.
The two-hour sessions, designed to remind NAS Pensacola-area personnel of some of the most common safety issues and mishaps which can occur during the holiday season, have become an NAS Pensacola mainstay, something NAS Pensacola Safety Manager Jon Winters said is crucial not only for the largely junior population attending initial schooling at one of the air station's numerous training facilities, but also the NAS Pensacola service members and civilian staff.
"Safety is something every individual here - from the highest ranking to the newest Sailors and Marines - are reminded of," Mr. Winters said. "This not only extends from teaching safety in the classroom, but also encompasses recreation, liberty and travel. Safety is an all-hands effort and we [the NAS Pensacola Safety Office] is committed to ensuring the thousands of service members are aware of the safety issues and concerns they could encounter."
The three safety stand down sessions, were held over two days in different locations to afford service members the opportunity to attend, centered around holiday safety with particular emphasis on travelling.
"Service members often travel significant distances during the holiday season, and ensuring they are reminded of the various driving safety issues they face is one of our chief concerns," Winters said.
Highlighting the safety stand down was a nearly hour-long interactive presentation from Street Smart, Stay Alive From Education (S.A.F.E.). The program centered around distracted driving, seatbelt use and driving under the influence. The S.A.F.E. Street Smart presentation is interactively designed to assist Sailors and Marines in making smart choices concerning driving safety. Program facilitators, Tampa Bay, Florida, emergency medical technicians, demonstrated the consequences of making bad driving choices
from their firsthand observations.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's represent some of the most dangerous days for travelers, with the three-day average around each of those holidays around 250 accidents.
While not part of the program, NAS Pensacola's Safety Office representatives also stressed other safety issues of which individuals should be aware during the holiday season:
Fire Safety: According to the National Fire Protection Association, electrical distribution or lighting equipment contributed to two out of every five home Christmas tree fires; more than one-third of home Christmas tree fires started in the living room, family room, or den; and all of the fatalities and roughly three-quarters of the injuries resulted from fires started in those area.
Holiday decorating:
- Be careful with decorations. Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
- Keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn.
- Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
- Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read manufacturer's instructions for number of light strands to connect.
- Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.
- Keep decorations away from windows and doors.
NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Chris Martin said that service members, civilian employees and their families -- whether from NAS Pensacola or at any of the commands onboard the air station - are encouraged to evaluate their plans during the holiday season.
"We're all excited to enjoy time with family and friends, but making sure we all keep safety issues and potential mishaps as part of our plan makes sure we're all back here after the holiday season," he said. "We want the Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and Coastguardsmen here to be safe, take care of their shipmates and continue providing support to the finest training facilities in the Navy."
AS Pensacola, referred to as the "Cradle of Naval Aviation," is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG)
21 and 23 and is the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

• Date Taken: 11.21.2018
• Date Posted: 11.26.2018 12:42
• Story ID: 301196
• Location: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US