Summer Safety Fair

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sean D. Smith
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  On May 21, following the presentation of the Omaha Trophy, the Summer Safety Fair will kick off on Minot Air Force Base. It's a fun event intended to send wingman week off with a bang.

"Our slogan is food, fun, safety and sun," said Capt. Danielle Tuttle, 5th Medical Operations Squadron flight commander of health promotions. "We're really hoping to make it a great time."

The main focus of the fair will be safety, with booths and presentations from base services.

"Ambulance Services will be there, fire trucks, Public Health, and the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Office," Tuttle said. "There'll be hunting safety and anti-drunk driving messages, and a lot of different hands-on stuff for Airmen to do."

The fair will include seatbelt checks for the proper use of child seats in cars, and the safety theme isn't limited to physical activity; it extends to a broader lifestyle.

"We'll have internet safety and social media safety as well," Tuttle said. "People are encouraged to bring their families. We're going to have face painting and things like that for the kids."

There will be static displays to showcase the mission, and the event will include free food.

"We'll have bearcats and different munitions," Tuttle said. "We're trying to incorporate everyone on base to show off their mission, so when people bring their kids they can see what mom and dad do."

The more interactive format for the fair is intended to bring some immediacy to the message of safety.

"The goal of this isn't to tell people not to drink and drive," Tuttle said. "It's to show them why they shouldn't. We'll have drunk goggles for people to try out. It's about showing, not telling. We'll have boats out there so you can actually see that your child is this big, so this is the right sized life vest for them."

The Summer Safety Fair will offer a lot of fun, but the message of safety will be at the forefront.

"We're covering all aspects of safety," Tuttle said. "We're thinking of the whole person concept, targeting the physical and social pillars. We want people to think about the long-term effects of decisions that they make now. You want to set a good example for you and your kids." 

For more details about the Summer Safety Fair, check out the What's Up @ Minot calendar at www.minot.af.mil.