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Message of personal safety delivered

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Williams
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  May 19 was Safety Day at Shaw. Besides in-house training, there were several briefings in the base theater and community center for Shaw personnel to attend. 

Throughout the day, members were briefed on a variety of topics including personal and motorcycle safety. 

Officer Tre Lundquist of the Public Safety Coalition provided three separate briefings at the base theater. He provided information people in attendance can use to lessen their chance of being a crime victim. 

“I’m not here to scare, alarm or upset ya’ll,” said Lundquist. “I’m here to make you realize you are a potential victim.” 

His eye-opening presentation was also filled with humorous anecdotes. 

One of the biggest laughs occurred when he demonstrated what he called an “international burglar alarm,” which is the sound of a pump-action shotgun chambering a round. 

Home safety was a primary focus of his briefing. He warned that gangs are recruiting young children to knock on doors pretending to be soliciting. When the front door opens, gangs members, who hide off to the side and out of sight, rush in and incapacitate or kill anyone in the house. 

He also said there is an inexpensive way to prevent the doors to a house from being kicked in -- replace the small 1-inch wood screws holding the strike plate to the door frame with 4 to 8-inch wood screws. He said criminals would have to kick the whole door frame down to get in. 

Deadbolts are another way to protect a home, but they only work when they are locked, he said. Most people lock deadbolts every night but are too lazy to do so when they leave the house in the morning. That can be a costly mistake since 95 percent of all break-ins occur during the day. 

Another part of his presentation drew a few gasps from the crowd when he showed some of the hidden weapons that were taken from young children. Some of those were pens, combs, lipstick cases, key chains and belt buckles that have hidden blades in them and can be bought at any flea market or grocery store. 

He also explained how people can protect themselves from identity theft and how to avoid being online victims. 

“Identity theft is a $1 billion a year business,” he said. “Never give your personal information over the phone.” 

He said people need to be careful when posting their personal information online. Criminals can use the smallest pieces of information to get to a victim. 

Shaw motorcycle riders attended a briefing on motorcycle safety in the community center. 

Master Sgt. Mark Nurrenbern, CENTAF Force Protection, said all riders need to know the level of risk they’re willing to accept. 

Motorcycle riders should be able to see 12 seconds ahead to be able to react to a potentially dangerous situation, he said. All riders should avoid “target fixation,” which is focusing on an object a rider would not want to hit. Ultimately, a rider will hit what he is looking at. 

One of those who spoke at the briefing was 2nd Lt. Matthew Weaver, 20th Communications Squadron, who recalled an accident he was involved in. 

The lieutenant said he was riding with a passenger in Columbia, S.C. He was at a stop light waiting for the light to turn green. A car to his left cut him off after the light changed. To avoid hitting the car, he had to lay his bike down. He suffered road rash, bruised lungs and four broken ribs. His passenger sustained a broken jaw and collar bone. 

“Safety Day was a chance for us to get the word out,” said Col. Bill Hyatt, 20th Fighter Wing commander. “With the 101 critical days of summer beginning this weekend, I want everyone to do what they need to do to protect themselves and their families and look out for each other and keep safety in the forefront of their summer plans. The hardest part of my job is telling a parent or spouse their loved one died.”