FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. — Tents lined the walkway outside the Main Exchange at Fort Gregg-Adams during Wednesday’s Safety Day event, where installation teams provided service members, civilians and families with free safety information, demonstrations and giveaways to promote a culture of accountability, awareness and preparedness.
Organized by the Garrison Safety Office, the event highlighted everything from emergency preparedness and environmental protection to weapons safety and substance abuse prevention.
“We have three ammunition drop-off points on Fort Gregg-Adams that are open year-round,” said Robert Sloan, Fort Gregg-Adams explosive safety specialist with the Garrison Safety Office. “The first being the Ammunition Supply Point, building 6250 and out on our Fort Gregg-Adams ranges.”
In addition to safety handouts and resources, the Garrison Safety Office tent also featured an amnesty can — allowing attendees to anonymously dispose of any unauthorized or forgotten military munitions or explosives.
Sloan, running the tent along with Kelly Hinnant, Chris Baldwin and Shayna Baldwin, engaged with attendees and emphasized the importance of proactive, everyday safety.
“A new motto for safety shouldn’t be safety first — it should be safety always,” Sloan said.
Nearby, the Environmental Management Division and Pollution Prevention tent was run by Alex Alvarado, pollution prevention manager, and Shannon Scully, wildlife biologist. The team brought live examples of an Eastern Copperhead — a venomous snake — and a non-venomous Black Rat Snake to help educate attendees on local wildlife.
“We want people to be able to interact with the two species so they could clearly know the differences between venomous and non-venomous,” Scully said. “We also wanted to highlight to those who don’t know that it is illegal to kill snakes in the state of Virginia.”
Emergency Management and Preparedness staff offered guidance on handling natural disasters and other emergencies. Darl Everett Jr., installation emergency manager, and Charles Aucoin, chief of plans and protection, led the tent.
“We are giving out information on emergency preparedness so people can be ready for any natural disasters that may happen here in Virginia,” Everett said.
The two highlighted that Hurricane season is right around the corner.
“The first of June marks the start of hurricane season,” Aucoin added. “We want to make sure people are aware of what to do in the event of one taking place.”
Representing Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation, Darcy Giovine, FMWR marketing manager, promoted both safety and upcoming community events.
“We’re out here today in support of our Garrison safety day,” she said. “We also wanted to hand out flyers and bring awareness to our upcoming events on the installation.”
The Army Substance Abuse Program tent, led by Tina Reeder and Susan Loden, employee assistance program coordinator, from the Directorate of Human Resources, focused on substance abuse awareness and responsible decision-making.
“It’s important for us to educate people about what misuse is and for us to make sure people know the difference between making choices that are informed choices and not accidental,” Loden said.
Weapons safety was the focus of the Range Operations tent, where Leonard Bunn, range safety officer; Mathew Baumgarten, range communications; and Jeremy Clevers represented their department.
“Today’s event allows us talk to and educate people about weapons safety here, on and off our installation,” Baumgarten said.
The Fort Gregg-Adams Fire and Emergency Services Department also had a presence, staffed by Kevin Gordon, chief fire inspector; Victor Proctor, assistant fire chief of operations; and Noah McGee. They provided fire safety tips and emergency response resources.
From weapons awareness to hurricane prep and wildlife education, the day-long event emphasized one overarching theme: safety is a shared responsibility — and an ongoing one.
Fort Gregg-Adams plans to continue hosting Ammunition Amnesty Day annually and encourages community members to stay informed about safe storage and reporting practices.
Social Sharing