Playing it safe Wings highlight safety for summer season Published May 19, 2009 By Howdy Stout Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- "You just hit a little kid!" the sergeant shouted at the passing drunk driver. The driver slowed but didn't stop. Fortunately, the "kid" was an orange traffic cone and the "drunk driver" was an Airman wearing goggles that simulated the effects of drunken vision. They weren't even speeding. "When I put the goggles on, I couldn't even find the steering wheel," explained Airman 1st Class Sarah Davis of the 552nd Training Squadron. "I've never gotten in a car drunk and I never will." "It really makes you reconsider getting drunk," agreed Airman 1st Class Alisha Smith of the 552nd TRS. "I'd rather remain in control." The drunk driving simulator was just one of the numerous -- and more graphic -- events sponsored by the 552nd Air Control Wing and the 72nd Air Base Wing highlighting safety issues for the upcoming summer season. The 552nd ACW turned one of their hangars into a giant venue for promoting summer safety, covering everything from backyard barbeques to motorcycling safety. "We're kicking off the Air Force's annual 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign," said Lt. Col. Frank Souza, chief of wing safety for the 552nd ACW. "When we have a safety meeting, usually we can cover one or two topics. With the safety fair, we can cover everything." An annual event, this year's fair attracted an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 visitors from around base. Representatives from on and off-base attended, promoting various aspects of safety. "We cover all aspects of safety," said Staff Sgt. Eric Gilley, ground NCO safety officer for the 552nd ACW, and one the fair's organizers. "This year, we added 25 to 30 new vendors between the 72nd agencies and off-base organizations. It's double the size of previous ones." Almost every conceivable aspect of safety is covered, whether it is physical, spiritual or emotional. Everything from hunter safety to stress counseling was featured at the fair. "It starts with basic ideas on safety and then we fill those spots with qualified people," Sergeant Gilley said. "I'd like everybody to leave here feeling good about safety and having had fun doing it." Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Miller, ground safety NCO for the 963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron, was there promoting bicycle and car-seat safety for children. Although most parents know that children need to be buckled up, most don't realize that children under 10 years old still need a booster seat as most children are still too young to be secured by seatbelts alone. Catie Mann of the Child Development Center was explaining the benefits of parents "taking a break" from their children by using the center's child care facilities. "It's free child care for five hours on one Saturday a month," she explained. "It allows the parents to have a break, especially if it's hectic. Because of more deployments, this is important." Across the hangar, John Koons, community relations coordinator for OG&E, was busy shocking children. Toy, children, that is. Using real electricity and various scenarios, the diorama does more than light up children's faces by graphically showing electrical hazards. "This is part of our fourth grade electrical safety program. It's a great program and we do it at all the schools," he says as sparks shoot between a toy person and a kite caught on a power line. "And it's a great visual." Wearing an apron and wielding a crusty barbecue grill, Capt. Greg Weigel of the 552nd TRS extolled the hazards of barbecuing. "Ten to 15 Americans die every year because of smoke," he said. "And those charred pieces you see on the grill increase your risk for cancer." A popular display was the motorcycle simulator that pitted novice and veteran riders against speeding traffic, darting animals and slick pavement. "We've had a big hit this year with the motorcycle simulator," Colonel Souza said. "With the better weather, motorcycle safety is always a hot topic this time of year." For those that prefer the real thing to simulators, the 552nd ACW organized a mass bike ride to nearby Shawnee. But, Colonel Souza said, the ride wasn't just about showing off shiny chrome and rumbling Harleys. "It also promotes camaraderie," he said. "They can ride together, learn together and promote safety together." Meanwhile, back at the drunk driving simulator, Airmen were still mowing down orange traffic cones. "There are very few people who don't hit a cone," said Master Sgt. Rodney Galloway of the 552nd Maintenance Squadron. "I hit three." He shakes his head as Airmen struggle to remove a cone stubbornly wedged under the vehicle. "You don't want to be impaired when you're driving."