JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
A free, interactive safety performance is scheduled for Nov. 8 at the base theater from 7 to 8 a.m., 10 to 11 a.m., and 1 to 2 p.m. at Langley Air Force Base, Va.
The Street Smart performance is open to all base members, and covers a range of driving-related subjects including seatbelt usage, driver distractions, driving under the influence and driving recklessly.
Master Sgt. Dawn Moninger, the 633rd Air Base Wing Safety superintendent, said the program is a performance-based presentation by experienced paramedics and firefighters, created to educate audience members on the effects of negative driving behaviors through simulations and photos of real-life traumas. She said the personal experiences the paramedics and firefighters incorporate into the performances are what make the briefing so unique.
"It's a different type of safety briefing all-together, and that is why we brought it here," said Moninger. "It's very hard-hitting and it's effective."
Because paramedics and firefighters are the ones putting on the show, there is a real sense of authenticity of the information, said Tech. Sgt. Oliver K. Missick, the 633rd Air Base Wing Safety inspection program manager.
"It's nobody pretending to say 'Hey, I know these things because I saw them in a movie or in a picture,' these are people that deal with this stuff every day," said Missick. "They have that firsthand experience."
This is the second time Wing Safety has brought Street Smart to the base. The program was brought back because it was well-received by the base community, said Moninger.
"It gives you an insight to what you may not regularly deal with or experience, so you would realize the impact of your decisions," said Missick. "It really brings to light a lot of the now-normal things that are distractions that impair us while we operate vehicles."
According to Moninger, the difference between Street Smart and a normal safety briefing is the dramatic nature of the performance, and its ability to prompt the audience to be introspective about the way they, and others around them, drive.
"It's value-added not just for the member, but for the people who are close to them," said Moninger. "It isn't a dull safety briefing."
For members who may be on-the-fence about whether or not Street Smart would be worthwhile, Missick said it's an eye-opening opportunity and shouldn't be missed.
"You get out of work for some information that could possibly save your life," he said. "What we're trying to do is break habits. To hit a nerve of even just one person, that's what we're hoping to accomplish."