Commentary- Focus on safety during 101 Critical Days of Summer Published May 19, 2010 By Master Sgt. Roderick George 99th Air Base Wing Safety NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Here we are again...another "Critical Days of Summer." The CDoS will officially start on May 28 (Memorial Day weekend) and run through Sept. 6 (Labor Day weekend). Last summer, the Air Force lost 22 Airmen during these critical days to needless mishaps. This year, we are promoting the importance of safety and health related issues with a focus on suicide prevention and self-defeating behavior. To kick off our CDoS campaign on May 27, Nellis has planned several events as part of the Nellis Awareness Day, formerly known as Safety Day. During the Nellis Awareness Day, there will be two mandatory commander's calls at Freedom Park. Also, there will be guest speakers participating in this year's events. The Nevada Highway Patrol will be demonstrating safe riding techniques in the Enlisted Club parking lot, and following the demonstration, there will be a bike contest/show where prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place in three categories: sport bikes, cruisers, and customs. Mr. Robert J. Martin, an expert on predicting violent behavior, will be doing a presentation based on the nationally recognized book, "The Gift of Fear." This presentation will teach us how to identify the warning signals of a potential attacker and recommend strategies for dealing with the problem before it becomes life threatening. Lastly, The Save-A-Life Tour is an alcohol awareness program designed to educate people about the dangers associated with drinking and driving. Participants will have an opportunity to drive multi-million dollar simulators that give them a realistic, sober perspective on the effects of driving while intoxicated. As we all well know, individuals are not born safety-minded. Nellis Awareness Day is a good opportunity to reaffirm your organization's commitment to safety training by giving your personnel a general safety overview on past trends and lessons learned. While Nellis Awareness Day is more general in nature, commanders and supervisors should encourage mass participation in these events. After all, training is a key component in maintaining an effective safety program. The following is a list of times and locations for key Awareness Day events. Participants should consult with their organization's Awareness Day representatives for their unit's schedule of events. Freedom Park--Mass commander's calls at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Base Theater--Flight safety meeting at 8 a.m., Gift of Fear (for Airmen age 26 and under) at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., Nellis Desert Eagle Riders Club (for all motorcycle riders) at 11 a.m. Enlisted Club--Stress, fatigue, and anger management and suicide prevention (for first-line supervisors) at 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Base Theater parking lot--Motorcycle contest (for sport bikes, cruisers and customs) at 12 p.m. 99th Air Base Wing conference room--Supervisor safety training at 8 a.m. and 1 and 4 p.m. Hangar 244--Safe a Life Tour (for Airmen 26 and under) at 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
