Safety Fair spreads awareness on summer precautions, health, wellness

By Gabrielle KuholskiMay 13, 2013

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1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left, Guy Hudson and Abraham Peraza, Cochise County SWAT team, examine different types of tinted safety glasses. Ken Winburn, administrative technician, ran the booth for Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center Eye Clinic at Tuesday's Safety Fair an... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Scott Gray, 18th Military Police Detachment, watches the ball python draped around his neck. The snake was part of the Safety Fair's exhibit by the Huachuca Herpetological Association, one of more than 20 organizations providing information at t... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Fort Huachuca, AZ. - Fort Huachuca personnel and residents had the opportunity to learn a variety of safety, health and wellness tips on Tuesday at the Safety Fair held at Barnes Field House.

Since the Fort Huachuca community is getting ready for summer, some of the participating organizations and installations focused on information regarding safety outdoors.

The Huachuca Area Herpetological Association and Friends of the San Pedro River set up displays on wildlife to be aware of when pursuing outdoor activities. The Huachuca Area Herpetological Association brought along live snakes to give fair-goers an idea of which snakes are dangerous and which are harmless. Interested attendees got to handle some of the harmless ones.

Relating their booth to the outdoors, the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, or DPTMS, focused on range safety and the possibility of finding a piece of unexploded ordnance, or UXO. These are weapons such as bombs, shells, grenades or land mines that never exploded when first used with the potential to detonate at a later time when discovered.

Scott Miller, DPTMS chief of training, explained that although a majority of the UXOs are no longer used in training, they've been used in the past on Fort Huachuca, and the possibility of finding one is a reality. He advises anyone who uncovers a UXO to call the military police, 533.3000, and range control, 533.7102.

For those planning summer hikes, the Border Patrol shed information about the importance of hydration. Each year the Border Patrol rescues lost or missing hikers. Many cases involve dehydration, where the hiker has not prepared by bringing enough water.

Also relating to summer safety with wildfire alerts and monsoon season ahead, Installation Management Command, or IMCOM, provided information on family emergency plans. Stephen McCann, ICOM emergency manager, explained how Families should have a plan in case of a disaster and have an emergency kit prepared in advance. He also mentioned that people often forget to include their pets in the process and should incorporate their safety into the family emergency plan.

This year's Safety Fair also included booths and displays concerning health and wellness. Several departments of Raymond W. Bliss Army Health Center were involved, spreading awareness on preventative health measures, dental health and eye safety precautions.

Sports Fitness and Aquatics, part of the Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, gave information on sports safety and the benefits of having a personal trainer to help achieve fitness goals, learn how to properly exercise and avoid sports injuries.

Emphasizing wellness, the Army Substance Abuse Program was on hand with materials about positive alternatives to drugs or alcohol to assist with better mental health.

According to Cyrano Brigham, installation safety officer, the Safety Fair was a great way to provide a variety of information all together, at one time and location.

"It's a common outlet on safety related issues," Brigham said. "People can have all their safety and health questions answered in one place."