Summer fun at Fort Leonard Wood starts with safety, health

By Mrs. Melissa Buckley (Leonard Wood)May 21, 2015

Summer fun at Fort Leonard Wood starts with safety, health
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (May 21, 2015) -- Each year during this time, Fort Leonard Wood leaders turn their focus to Safety Days. Nutter Field House served as the hub for safety knowledge Friday, during the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Safety and Health Fair.

This one-day, centrally located event was designed to encourage maximum participation, not only from service members, civilians and Families, but also for retirees and community members.

"This is like the Walmart of safety. It is all right here, and everything is important. It is good to be informed about safety," said Kimberly Lamb, 3rd Chemical Brigade employee.

More than 50 vendors distributed well-being awareness literature, conducted training, provided health screenings and answered safety and health-related questions.

Sgt. Caleb Dement, Primary Care Clinic pediatrics noncommissioned officer in charge, was at the fair providing blood-pressure readings.

"People need to be aware of what their blood pressure means. I have seen a couple high ones today. It is one of those invisible things that people don't think about until it is too late," Dement said.

Lamb, stopped to have Dement check her blood pressure.

"I have high blood pressure that is controlled by medicine, and it is good to know that my medicine is working," she said.

Other booths and displays included a fire house that simulated a real house fire, the Missouri Highway Patrol's seatbelt convincer that mimics a low-speed vehicle crash and a Missouri Department of Transportation demonstration that allowed participants to drive a go-kart through a maze of cones while using a cell phone or wearing drunk-driving goggles.

"I learned a lot at the electric booth," said Lamb.

At the Laclede Electric Cooperative booth, people watched a demonstration of a power line falling on a truck.

"My first instinct would be to get out of the vehicle, but today I learned to stay inside because you are only grounded while you remain in the vehicle," Lamb said.

"That was good to learn," he added.

The Safety and Health Fair was just one event held during Safety Days, which ran from May 1 through Friday.

Units and organizations conducted internal training, safety videos were aired on Channel 59 and the Fort Leonard Wood Directorate of Emergency Services had their mascots, McGruff and Sparky, visit schools and child centers on the installation. This year, safety days concentrated on personal safety and health training.

(Editor's note: Tiffany Wood, Public Affairs officer, contributed to this story.)

Related Links:

Fort Leonard Wood FLICKR

Fort Leonard Wood GUIDON newspaper

Fort Leonard Wood website