WIESBADEN, Germany -- The 66th Military Intelligence Brigade team was thrown a life preserver.
A few other units knocked heads and helmets.
But it was the 102nd Signal Battalion team members who really showed off their chops for safety.
For the third consecutive time, team 102nd took the top prize in the now semi-annual U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Safety Showdown.
“It’s more important to hold the title for us,” said Spc. Dana Simpson, 102nd team captain. From safety questions on Composite Risk Management to speed limits on and off post, the 102nd team racked up a score that would make any commander proud.
The “Jeopardy”-style showdown tests the knowledge of Soldiers and civilians on safety requirements and tips. The fast-paced and interactive game is an alternative to the traditional safety briefings where unit leaders recite the usual message of dos and don’ts for recreation and travel.
“Facts remain the same,” said Joe Michalkiewicz, 5th Signal Command safety manager. “We could preach to (Soldiers) all day. We’ve done it in the past. This is a better opportunity to burn this into their brains, to save their lives or someone else’s.”
In 2010, the Army reported 129 off-duty fatalities stemming from vehicle accidents, sports and other activities " an increase from 121 off-duty fatalities reported in 2009.
According to “Knowledge,” the official safety magazine of the Army, “speed, lack of seat belts or personal protective equipment, alcohol or drug use and sometimes all three " were cited as primary contributing factors in the overwhelming majority of the fiscal (year) 2010 off-duty fatalities.”
On May 23, the garrison hosted a bilingual Summer Safety Stand-Down day with classes offered to Soldiers and civilians on heat injury prevention, water safety, fire prevention and hands-on fire extinguisher training.
Six teams from Wiesbaden garrison units participated in the first Summer Safety Showdown May 24 at the Community Activity Center. Michalkiewicz, who has been hosting annual Safety Showdowns for 10 years, first brought the game to Wiesbaden in the fall of 2009.
Hoping to make the game a semi-annual event, Michalkiewicz said the message is always the same " safety.
As the Safety Showdown came to an end, Wiesbaden Soldiers were reminded of a few Army safety catch phrases " Fight the Risk, Take 5, 100 Days of Summer. The Army’s 2011 Safe Summer program asks Soldiers and families to consider “what have you done to save a life today?”
Memorial Day begins the 100 Days of Summer Safety " a campaign to concentrate on safe recreation practices during the summer months. The time period is viewed in the Army as one of the most dangerous times for Army personnel marked with increases in off-duty fatalities.
“We’re obviously shifting gears with the warmer weather,” said Col. Jeffrey Dill, U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden commander. “And we call attention to that change we’re undergoing by talking about safety.”
For the last five years, on-duty fatalities in the Army has continued on a downward trend.
“Our challenge for the new year is applying this same mindset ‘beyond the battlefield’ off duty to overcome indiscipline and negligence, especially with regard to motorcycle, POV and pedestrian safety,” noted the 2010 end-of-year review for the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center.
Visit https://safety.army.mil and click on the summer safety campaign icon in the lower right corner for more information on safety tips for summer activities.
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