Protection Day Delivers Safety Education Outing

By Kari Hawkins, AMCOMSeptember 2, 2015

PROTECTION DAY WELCOME
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HEY MOM, LET'S BUY A BOAT!
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CLIMBING TO THE BELL
3 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Thirteen-year-old Christian Brooks smiles down at his parents and brother after blowing the horn at the top of the rock climbing wall at Protection Day 2015. Christian is the son of Danita Brooks, who works in AMCOM Internal Review, and Kenneth Brook... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
TEACHING FIRE PROTECTION
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ROBOTS ON CALL
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MEDFLIGHT EXHIBIT
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SAFETY FOR THE FAMILY
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RESCUE TEAMS TAKE TWO
8 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Search and Rescue technicians from the SARTEK K-9 Unit pose with their K-9 partners as Protection Day 2015 gets under way at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. The technicians and their K-9 partners are an all-volunteer group in North Alabama trained to work wit... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
THANKING PROTECTION DAY COMMITTEE
9 / 10 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Todd Royar thanks the Protection Day 2015 committee members for coordinating more than 25 exhibitors and other events that made taught Team Redstone employees and their families about safety and security at home, in the workplace and in the comm... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
UTILITY ROAD SHOW
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REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- What kind of event can bring Coast Guard boats, explosive ordnance robots, search and rescue dogs, ham radio operators, MedFlight, a climbing rock wall, drones, Huntsville Utilities live wire demonstrations and face painting together all in one place on Thursday?

Protection Day 2015 -- a Team Redstone event organized by the Aviation and Missile Command and Garrison to offer an informative and fun day for employees and their families wanting to learn about the organizations and precautions that keep people safe and secure in their homes, in the workplace and in the community.

"The best way to prepare ourselves for a natural disaster or a manmade situation is through education," said AMCOM Chief of Staff Col. Todd Royar. "Force protection is not confined to a single month or a single day or a certain time of year. We have to be ready at all times. We have to be vigilant."

This year's event was held at the Community Activity Field near Gate 10. And, while safety and security requires all-year-around awareness and preparation, the Team Redstone event was held Thursday in support of several Army-wide awareness campaigns, including National Safety Month in June, Anti-Terrorism Month in August, National Preparedness Month in September, Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, and Fire Prevention Week and Month in October. Protection Day combined Safety, Antiterrorism and Ready Army awareness programs to help build a resilient community.

"It means a great deal to have your support and attendance here today," said Protection Day lead coordinator Alfreda Alexander of AMCOM Operations as she spoke to the crowd who came together for the event's welcome ceremony.

Both Royar and Alexander thanked the volunteers and the exhibitors who made the event possible.

"You help educate people about the best way to prepare themselves for an emergency. We appreciate what you do on a daily basis and for those who come here for this day's event," Royar said. "You are helping to make our entire community safe and I appreciate it."

Protection Day exhibitors included: 211 Crisis Services of North Alabama, AllState Safe Kids ID Kits, AMCOM Emergency Management, American Red Cross, ATF National Center for Explosives Training and Research, Baron Services SAF-T System, Civil Air Patrol, DOT Drunk Driving Simulator, HARC Truck and Radio Tower, Harley Davidson Motorcycle, HEMSI, Huntsville Amateur Radio Club, Huntsville Hospital Mobile Unit, Huntsville Utilities, Madison County Community Emergency Response Team, Madison County EMA, Madison County Search and Rescue, MEDFLIGHT Air Ambulance, National Weather Service, Neighborhood Watch, Redstone Fire Services, Salvation Army Mobile Kitchen, SARTEC Search and Rescue K-9 Unit, Team Redstone Antiterrorism, Team Redstone Safety, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and Valley Storm Shelters.