Source: United States Navy (Medical)
When Capt. Karli Lepore was approached the previous week by Jean Hallmark, Naval Hospital Bremerton safety specialist, to provide opening remarks for the annual Holiday Safety Brief, there was a moment of hesitation.
“I told Jean I really had nothing to talk about,” said Lepore, Naval Hospital Bremerton director and Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Bremerton commanding officer.
Then tragedy struck.
Lepore shared that Navy Captain David Collins, Medical Service Corps officer and former executive officer of NHB from 2014 to 2016, was killed by a head-on collision caused by a drunk driver the day after Thanksgiving, November 29, 2024.
“It’s important to have this talk before the holiday season,” stressed Lepore. “Please listen to these reminders.”
For the past 11 years, Candace Cardinal, Sexual Assault Prevention Response program, has been sharing guidance and advice to eliminate sexual assault.
“We’re always doing this. Why is it still happening? What can we all do to keep us all safe?” Cardinal openly questioned NHB’s crowded Ross Auditorium.
“Preventing sexual assault is a safety issue. It’s one way to live the Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment. We can all help with active intervention,” continued Cardinal, noting that there are six steps involved in active intervention which anyone can apply; pay attention, identify events as problems, feel motivated and capable of finding a solution, know what to do, act safely, and evaluate and revise.
Motivation is key, Cardinal emphasized, in finding solutions to prevent sexual assault. Several mock scenarios were provided, with audience participation overwhelmingly choosing active bystander intervention as the best way to directly respond. There are six active intervention strategies which anyone can use, such as direct invention by addressing the person(s) involved; indirect intervention by defusing the situation; distraction by creating an interruption; protocol by bringing in an authority figure or leader to help diffuse the situation; separation by making sure each person leaves safely; and calling for help by getting others involved.
“Help us with the mission of intervention,” implored Cardinal. “Drinking, having fun, can go south quickly at times. Do what you can to keep others safe from sexual assault.”
Marsha Masters, representing Mothers Against Drunk Driving – MADD – and Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, addressed the audience by rhetorically asking them why some old gray-haired retired schoolteacher, who could be your mother, was telling them how to operate their motor vehicle.
“My advice? It’s simple. Don’t do stupid sh!t,” exclaimed Masters, who is also the sheriff’s office Target Zero Manager.
“One life lost is one too many,” said Masters, citing statistical evidence for Kitsap County that there have been 55 total fatalities over the past three years associated with driving. There were 16 in 2021, 19 in 2002 and 20 in 2023. In Washington state last year, there were 733 total crashes resulting in 810 deaths.
“I always wish that we don’t have to do these presentations,” Masters said.
Yet the trend of traffic fatalities continues. There have been 14 total collisions in Kitsap for 2024 which have caused 16 deaths. Impaired driving was the cause of eight. Speeding was involved in ten. No seatbelt worn happened in five. Most took place on county roadways with the vehicle running off the road.
“Zero is our goal. To reach that, I’m asking everyone to do four things to help towards that goal. Buckle up. Pay attention. Slow down. Drive sober,” stated Masters.
Trooper Katerine Weatherwax from Washington State Patrol addressed five overlapping topics during her presentation: Washington traffic laws, distracted driving, winter driving tips, collisions, and driving under the influence.
“There’s area of concern here in Kitsap County. The morning commuters to and from [Naval Base Kitsap] Bangor on State Route 3 and 308. There’s SR 16 in Port Orchard. There’s the bottleneck on SR3 from Loxie through Gorst. There’s the Warren Avenue Bridge where the speed limit is 35 but there are those who drive much faster. There’s SR 303 where the speed limit changes from 30 to 55 miles per hour and SR 16 county line area,” said Weatherwax, adding that for Friday, December 13, 2024, Kitsap County will be part of the statewide, “Night of 1,000 stars,” a concerted effort by law enforcement agencies to take impaired drivers off the roadways.
Speeding, distracted driving and not wearing a seat belt are some of the noticeable indicators which can get any motorist pulled over.
“If you see another drive all over the road, call it in. Dial 911. Give as many details as you can. Help us help others,” said Weatherwax.
As guest speaker Ashley Bonus, a DUI victim advocate stepped before the crowd, she began her planned speech impromptu.
“MADD is a program you don’t really know until you need it. It’s a program you don’t want to join,” Bonus remarked.
Compiled data notes that every 79 seconds someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash. Drunk driving deaths are up 31 percent since 2019. Two out of three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime.
“I joined MADD after my sister Stacey was killed by an impaired driver in 2012. She was a stones throw from her front door. At 10 a.m. She was only 28 years old. She was a teacher who had just returned from picking up school supplies for her class,” related Bonus. “I do this not out of anger or bitterness but to remember by sister. She was amazing. Too many die every year on our roads.”
MADD provides supportive service every four minutes. Since its inception in 1980, MADD has helped lessen drunk driving deaths by approximately 40 percent and helped save 475,000 lives in that time. As of December 2023, MADD has helped nearly one million victims with emotional support, advocacy services, guidance, and how to navigate the criminal and justice process.
NMRTC Bremerton Command Master Chief William P. Eickhoff provided closing remarks, candidly noting that the Holiday Safety Standdown is an annual affair which many hear. But is the message retained?
“Let’s be honest with ourselves and each other. Don’t forget [what was shared here today]. Just take one second. Think about others who our behaviors and decisions can impact,” said Eickhoff.