Base officials urge safe finish to Critical Days of Summer Published Sept. 7, 2009 By Tyler Hemstreet Staff writer MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- With less than one week left in the Air Force's Critical Days of Summer safety campaign, McChord officials are asking Airmen to make responsible choices and stay safe over the upcoming four-day holiday weekend. During this year's CDS campaign -- which runs every year from Memorial Day to Labor Day -- total mishaps at McChord are down nearly 30 percent from last year. The low numbers speak to a great culture of safety at McChord, said Lt. Col. Rod Lewis, 62nd Airlift Wing chief of safety. "It shows that safety is really everyone's program and the culture has really permeated through the base populous," Colonel Lewis said. So far, there have been only 12 Class C mishaps - defined as something that causes an Airman to be placed on quarters or convalescent leave. There have also been only 15 on-duty mishaps, compared to 49 last year. "The low on-duty mishaps show that new wing leadership, as well as commanders and supervisors at all levels, remain committed to keeping safety as a real focal point and placing it at the forefront of operations every day," Colonel Lewis said. Colonel Lewis was most pleased with the fact Team McChord has not lost a life to a motorcycle accident. He credits Airmen with taking the initiative to enroll in the many sport bike classes the safety office has offered this summer. "Motorcycle safety is a tough thing to get your arms around, specifically sport bike training," he said. Of the base's 294 motorcycle riders, 94 of those ride sport bikes. Nearly all have gone through the class, he said. "Those who haven't are either deployed or on long TDYs," he said. The overall campaign numbers are even more impressive considering Rodeo 2009 and the run of uncharacteristically hot weather this summer. "Overall, the summer campaign was very successful," Colonel Lewis said. But 62nd AW safety officials want to close the summer on a high note. In past years there has been a small spike in incidents toward the end of the campaign. The numbers show a possible tendency by Airmen to rush to fit in various recreational activities before the summer and warm weather comes to an end, said Ken Heath, 62nd AW chief of ground safety. "Some may be rushing to get something done," Mr. Heath said. "The rush can lead to a small lapse of concentration, and that's all it takes for us to have an incident. We want people to have fun, but do it smartly and take the proper precautions." Those proper precautions include Airmen keeping an open dialogue with leadership about any high-risk activity they engage in, Colonel Lewis said.