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AFNORTH launches 101 Critical Days of Summer with Safety Day

  • Published
  • By Mary McHale
  • AFNORTH PA
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla --  A Coast Guard rescue demonstration, firearms safety classes and motorcycle safety training set the scene for Air Forces Northern's Safety Day May 21.

Memorial Day weekend officially begins the "101 Critical Days of Summer" - a campaign held annually since the late 1960s. This year, the campaign will run from May 22 to Sept. 8. AFNORTH's Safety Day offered participants both briefings and hands-on training about traffic safety, gun safety, motorcycle safety and hurricane preparedness.

Additionally, the local Coast Guard Auxiliary provided free boat safety inspections, and safety displays were hosted by many local organizations such as the Bay County Sheriff's office, Bay County Emergency Management Services, the Panama City Surf and Rescue Unit and Florida Fish and Wildlife.

"Our challenge was to create a Safety Day that our folks wanted to attend and provide them the information they needed to survive the Critical Days of Summer," said Lt. Col John York, AFNORTH director of Safety. "We wanted to have an event that was instructional, relevant and funand I think we achieved our goal."

John McDill, AFNORTH Ground Safety chief, said the scheduled events were specifically designed to reinforce personal risk management skills. He said the summer season traditionally produces higher accident rates as summer temperatures prompt more outdoor and risk-laden activities such as motorcycle riding, boating and swimming.

"Our mission was to provide AFNORTH members a new outlook on Safety Day, while stressing the point that personal risk management needs to be a part of our everyday activities," he said.

Maj. Martin "Dutch" Deutsche, a strategic planner with the 6011st Air and Space Operations Center, is also a deputized sergeant with the Bay County Sheriff's Office and assisted with firearms training. He also stressed the cooperative effort that is shared between AFNORTH's safety office and various local agencies. "Through all our demonstrations and displays, we wanted to stress safe driving, swimming and boating practices, given their inherent popularity in our region," he said.

Deputy Duetsche said no matter the activity, certain common safety themes remained intact. "Have a plan and proper frame of mind, know your limits, know how to get help and a have a means call for help if necessary," he stressed. "Last Memorial Day, we had more than 40 water saves on that single day alone."

One of the premier AFNORTH Safety Day events this year was the Firearms Safety Seminar, held for the first time.

Joe Crum, AFNORTH weapons safety chief, said the 325th Fighter Wing's Combat Arms Training Maintenance division was instrumental in making it happen. He said the seminar attracted many participants who were able to shoot their own personal weapons at the CATM range.

"The main point we wanted to make with respect to firearms safety was that the more familiar and experienced you are with your personal firearm, the safer you are going to be with your weapon," Mr. Crum said.

Staff Sgt. Jody Tidwell, 325th SFS combat arms instructor, provided oversight on the firing range and said the main goal was to make sure the participants felt comfortable with their weapons and handled them in a safe manner.

Since motorcycle riding is also a popular activity, there was a training course set up for riders hosted by Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Serving as 601st AOC instructors for the foundation were Lt. Col. Walt Lasecki and Master Sgt. Michael McGuire.

They stressed familiarization with motorcycle basics to the participants -- from what to wear to what to look for in an inspection to how to handle various events that can occur on the road.

"Regardless of rider age, most accidents occur due to a series of small - often avoidable -- mistakes rather than just a single one," said Mr. Lasecki. "Often, a lack of basic knowledge in handling the motorcycle leads to serious injury when attempting to maneuver the bike during adverse conditions."

"The day culminated with an exciting water rescue demonstration by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, over the bay near Heritage Park," Colonel York said "The purpose of the demonstration was to educate our members on what to expect in case they were ever stranded in the Gulf of Mexico and then subsequently needed to be rescued by a helicopter. The Coast Guard did a great job!"

"I think Safety Day went really well and we received a lot of positive feedback. "We gave our folks the skills and knowledge they will need to survive the 101 Critical Days of Summer," Mr. McDill said.