Bonhomme Richard Sailors Get 'Street Smart'

05/16/2009

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Marcus Stanley, USS Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) Sailors increased their awareness of the critical decisions they make behind the wheel with a presentation by Street Smart on board May 14.

Street Smart educates people about the effects of unsafe driving and why good decision making is important.

"We're here as a catalyst promoting responsible driving through the use of facts and real life accounts from what we see on a day to day basis," said Chris Stocks, a firefighter from Orlando who and presenter for Street Smart.

The Street Smart presentation has evolved since it began. It now incorporates graphic images through the use of PowerPoint to further depict the harsh reality of the effects of poor decision making behind the wheel of the cars.

"The graphic content is important when we talk to people about what we do," said Stocks. "It gives people a chance to actually see what can happen when we use poor judgment."

After showing numerous photos of victims horrific car crashes and their victims, Street Smart presenters Chris Stocks and Joseph H. McCluan used an even more extreme way to get their message across. This time they grabbed a Sailor from the crowd and painted a picture of a horrible accident going step-by-step through the procedures that paramedics must follow when they make it to the scene.

"To actually have to cut the car apart from around someone before you can remove them from the car seems like precious time wasted, but I now understand why they have to do it," said Storekeeper Seaman Recruit Shemonique Washington.

After strapping the Sailor down to a stretcher, the presenters then showed the medical procedures that would be performed on a severely wounded victim.

"I didn't know they did all those medical procedures without anesthesia," said Operations Specialist Seaman Tommie Birdon. "You would think how someone could take that much pain. Just hearing that makes me want to always wear my seat belt and never drink and drive."