By Derek Gean
Community editor
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The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence is scheduled to host Summer Safety Days Monday through May 24.

The annual observance is designed to increase safety awareness before the summer season and coincides with the start of the traditional travel season.Organizers say it helps ensure service members, civilian employees and Family members are aware of and mitigate hazards that are associated with the summer period.

“Memorial Day signifies the beginning of summer,” said Greg Wolf, MSCoE safety specialist. “Many seemingly safe summer activities can turn fatal without proper planning. This period will include a strong emphasis on safety and total health (body, mind and spirit) of personnel,” he said.

The Fort Leonard Wood Annual Safety and Health Fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 16 at Nutter Field House.

“(This) will enable service members, civilian employees, Family members and local citizens to increase their safety awareness and help them make safe plans for their summer activities, as well as other activities throughout the year,” Wolf said  said.

Numerous booths and displays will be available for people of all ages, including interactive educational events, one of which includes an auto crash victim extraction demonstration using the Jaws of Life tool by the Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department. The “victims” will be cut out of the car and transported for treatment by ambulance and helicopter.

“The Missouri Department of Transportation will provide patrons with the ability to drive a golf cart while wearing fatal vision goggles that simulate alcohol impairment. Also, the Save a Life Tour will provide an impaired driving video simulator and many other high impact displays. We’ll have a tractor trailer and patrons will be able to sit in the driver’s seat to experience the danger of driving in the blind spot,” Wolf said.

The General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital will provide health checks including blood pressure and blood sugar checks.

Other displays include the seat belt convincer, designed to demonstrate the impact of not wearing a seat belt; spider and tick bite prevention information; severe weather information; tips on recognizing dangerous illegal drugs; fitness information; the benefits of good nutrition; sexual assault prevention and reporting; suicide awareness and prevention; water, boating, hunting, and auto repair safety and much more.

“Awareness is the key in reducing hazards that may result in injuries or fatalities,” Sipes said. “Our highest risk for accidents occurs between Memorial Day and Labor day, when personnel participate in activities that they haven’t performed in a while, such as riding motorcycles, swimming or boating. It’s important to realize that accidents can happen to anyone. Everyone, even experts, can benefit from practice and occasional reminders. During Safety Days, educational information and local experts are on hand to provide awareness that can be helpful in planning and identifying the risks associate with summer time activities along with ways to reduce the risk.”

Along with the Safety Days events, there will also be Storm Spotter Training for the Crisis Action Team service members, civilian employees and Family members from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at Lincoln Hall Auditorium. The National Severe Weather Service out of Springfield will provide the training.

For more information, call 596.1275.