READ, or Retail Education on Alcohol and Drugs, is an in-depth training program designed to teach ABC rules and regulations to the people who serve alcohol in retail establishments—bartenders, bouncers, clerks, security guards, and servers. Retail owners are eager to familiarize staff workers with ABC requirements, but there’s more to the READ program than that. Participants also gain insight into how to limit the retailer’s liability due to unsafe alcohol sales and service practices. Servers learn how to refuse sales to minors and intoxicated customers, as well as how to read identification and spot fraudulent IDs.

Corporal Fred Alvarez is the department’s ABC Officer. He’s not only responsible for overseeing all ABC licenses, he’s also in charge of the READ program. He felt that the READ program was a good one but was missing one key experiential component.

“We needed activities to involve students,” he explains. “We wanted something to simulate intoxication.”

Luckily, Alvarez didn’t have to look far to find what he wanted. The Fatal Vision® Goggles were right there in his own department and had been since they were first manufactured. The Crime Prevention Department used them to educate junior high school and high school students. The Citizens Academy used them in alcohol awareness classes and at Crime Prevention fairs.

“I’d seen the goggles in use,” Alvarez says. “They connected with the needs of the class.” And once he started using them in the READ program, the goggles connected with the students, too.

Alvarez uses the goggles in a variety of settings to add that experiential dimension to READ classes. For instance, in one classroom setting, two students acted out a scene, one as a bartender and one as a customer.

Alvarez explains, “(With the goggles on) the customer struggles with simple physical tasks such as walking.” In this scenario, the bartender—and the other students—can readily see and identify signs of intoxication. The bartender then makes a “cocktail” (water) and serves it to the goggle-wearing patron, who attempts to take the drink back to a table. Along the way, the patron invariably spills his “drink” on another customer, “a sure-fire sign of intoxication.” It’s an important lesson for students to learn, since 68 percent of bar fights occur when one customer spills his drink on another.

Alvarez feels that some of the most effective classes import the above scenario right into bars and restaurants. “This is the best,” he says. “There’s nothing like having the setting right there in the bar. The servers are stunned.”

It also gives Alvarez a chance to teach bartenders and servers firsthand about the dangers of drinking on the job. He places the low impairment Fatal Vision® (White Label) Goggle on the student playing the bartender or server and a high impairment (Silver Label) goggle on the student playing the patron. Not only does the bartender have difficulty making drinks, but the student finds that being even mildly intoxicated keeps him from recognizing the signs of intoxication in the highly intoxicated patron. The bartender finds he has a hard time reading an ID and determining whether or not it’s fake, as well as smelling alcohol on the patron’s breath.

Alvarez finds that these simulation classes often lead to requests from participants for additional ones. For instance, Alvarez took the class to 1,500 employees of the San Bernadino Walmart and Sam’s Club. He’s been contacted by other Walmarts and Sam’s Clubs wanting to offer the training to their employees, too.

“They want more,” Alvarez says. “We hope to expand the program.” He’s hoping to take it into retail and convenience stores, too.

He credits the Fatal Vision® Goggles with making the READ program less of a lecture and more of a memorable real-life experience for the bartenders, servers, and other bar and restaurant staff. They have given the program exactly what Alvarez was searching for: activities that both simulate intoxication and involve students.

“The Fatal Vision® Goggles have a lot of different uses,” Alvarez concludes. “Everybody wants this training.”

Louisiana is one of the states that takes advantage of this program, but the over 450 -member-strong Louisiana Council of the Emergency Nurses Association (LCENA) wanted to go further to address TBI concerns. Last year the association supported initiative, Louisiana Act 314, was passed by the Louisiana Legislature. LCENA member Deb Spann introduced the measure to the State Board of Directors.

“That (initiative) is directed to preventing children participating in organized sports from returning to the field of play before being cleared by a physician,” Spann explains. “During that meeting our group collaborated on the best way to support getting the message out to the public from an emergency nursing perspective.”

Spann and LCENA members were already familiar with Fatal Vision® products. “We first worked with Fatal Vision® products in collaboration with our law enforcement partners in impaired driving programs,” she says, “and were impressed with the realism that the product lent to the students.”

So when one member found an article that referenced a new product, Concussion Goggles™, LCENA members’ interest was immediately piqued. Once Louisiana Act 314 was introduced, the group made the decision to purchase six sets of goggles for use across the state.

“We have used the goggles with many different age groups from elementary to high school to college students,” Spann says, noting that they’ve targeted nursing students in pediatric and neurology classes. “We have also used them in the community with coaches from all areas of organized sports at schools and in the public sector.”

One of the group’s primary outreach foci to date has been using the Concussion Goggles™ in conjunction with the CDC’s Heads Up program, which itself focuses on organized sports and youth. Spann is quick to add that her group, along with partner organization Louisiana Emergency Response Network, would gladly moderate the program’s content for any interested group.

The Concussion Goggles™ work particularly well with the Heads Up program in large part because they effectively and realistically mimic the effects of a traumatic brain injury. Participants go through an interactive presentation combining classroom discussion with mental, physical, and dexterity tests. Participants first perform those tests without the Concussion Goggles™ to get a behavior baseline. Then participants immediately perform the same tasks while wearing the goggles and experience all the visual disconnect, apprehension, confusion, hesitation, and disorientation a TBI sufferer would.

“All who have used the goggles have been impressed with the realism of the product,” Spann says.

The Concussion Goggles™ also fit in well with the Heads Up materials, which include curricula specific to coaches, students, and parents. Spann says having a pre-packaged program like this is priceless because it allows an emergency room nurse to do a complete, professional presentation without having to create a program from scratch. It also fits well with other safety programs. This streamlines the process for these nurses, who volunteer their time to the program.

“Having such a dramatic product and well-defined program to pair with it is an attention-grabber that works every time,” Spann says.

That doesn’t mean that the program doesn’t face some challenges. Time to meet the number of requests is one challenge. Another is not having enough sets of Concussion Goggles™ to go around. The Louisiana Council of the Emergency Nurses Association has made plans to purchase more sets to meet that demand.

Meanwhile, LCENA plans to stick with their current focus for the foreseeable future.

“I am convinced that they (the Concussion Goggles™) make a significant difference in our ability to deliver an important message,” Spann says. “I look forward to having more sets in the state so that I can have one to use exclusively.

Links for more information

• Heads Up Program
• Louisiana Council of Emergency Nurses Association programs
• TBI Report to Congress

YCG: T.R.E.E. members use a peer to peer approach to assist them in providing a stronger message that is more likely to get across with the students.

Sometimes it takes a teen to reach a teen.

That idea is at the core of the Yakima Valley System of Care’s outreach to educate young people about driving and substance abuse. Yakima County, Washington is a large and rural county. The primarily agricultural communities are spread out.

“At one end of the county a small town has a big underage drinking problem,” says Youth Engagement Specialist Tiffany Sanders. “At least two to three youth in our county die each year in incidents where chemical use was involved.”

Yakima County’s substance abuse problems aren’t limited to one small town in the corner of the county. At the other end, a two-lane highway runs through a more rural setting. Although the state drinking age is 21, many Yakima County youth drink at a much younger age—as early as middle school. Combine drinking with a rural highway, and the result is many under-the-influence traffic crashes.

It hasn’t always been easy to motivate the community to do something about the under-age drinking problems. “When people are faced with a problem that they don’t know how to remedy often times it’s easier to turn a blind eye,” Sanders explains. “People are beginning to understand how critical it is to provide education and interactive prevention programs to protect our youth.”

As difficult as it has been to encourage adults to begin tackling the issues, that wasn’t the case with area youth. They saw the problem clearly and wanted to do something to correct it. “Youth want adults to admit to the problem, and actively support them in healthy ways to remedy it,” Sanders says.

When the county received a children’s mental health grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to use in its social services outreach and to improve the coordination between child/youth serving systems, Sanders saw her opportunity. The grant had several levels, one of which was training youth to become community leaders by educating adults about youth issues such as mental health and foster care. And, of course, drug and alcohol abuse.

With a past history of working in the mental health and substance abuse fields, Sanders quickly identified the usefulness of the Fatal Vision® products in helping youth reach other youth and adults about driving while impaired. “Fatal Vision® can help with this if used properly,” she says.

She formed a youth leadership team, Youth for Community Growth: Teens Reviving Equality for Everyone (YCG: T.R.E.E.). Members range in age from 15 to 18. With the grant, she purchased Innocorp’s Community Event Package, which includes Fatal Vision® goggles, Phone Condoms™/Phone Cells™, Distract-a-Match® 2, Fatal Reflections®, intoxiclock® version 4, and many other prevention tools. Innocorp’s COO Deb Kusmec came to Yakima County and trained ten youth and three adults to use the equipment. The youth trained by Kusmec have since trained others to use the products as new members join the YCG: T.R.E.E.

The group creates presentations geared to other teens. Typically, they present to 25 to 30 youth in a classroom setting and at times up to 75 youth in large groups. Presentations have been made to high school psychology classes, SADD club meetings, and community coalitions. Extended week-long presentations have occurred during Alcohol Awareness Week in local school districts. In addition to incorporating the Fatal Vision® products, team members gather pertinent data and statistics on intoxicated/distracted driving to present to these groups.

“They really enjoy using the products,” says Sanders. And even more importantly, the products are effective communication tools.

“The Fatal Vision® products help us promote safe driving because they are extremely hands-on,” says one of the YCG: T.R.E.E. members. “This helps students see for themselves firsthand how dangerous these types of situations can be. These simulations help students to see these things without having to actually experience them.”

“I truly do (think the Fatal Vision® products work) in terms of getting the message across to youth,” Sanders says. “I’ve never had so many requests for presentations. The people in the school system are saying, ‘Please come and give us more information.’”

In fact, the presentations have been so successful, she says that not a week has gone by without the Fatal Vision® products being used multiple times.

YCG: T.R.E.E. plans to expand its presentations to include appropriate outreach to elementary schools. There is interest in developing a video with a drug recognition expert from Yakima County Sheriff’s Office (YSO) and further collaborating with YSO during the State Fair.

“Many youth in our area believe that one drink won’t hurt you, marijuana isn’t addictive, selling drugs is a normal thing,” says the YCG: T.R.E.E. team member. “I think our youth team can change that by presenting this information and really promoting safe driving and caution with drugs and alcohol.”
Sanders points out that the members of YCG: T.R.E.E. are effective in their outreach because of the natural connection that occurs in peer-to-peer education opportunities. Many youth share the experience of distracted driving, i.e. texting, changing music, eating, etc., and when any lives are lost due to impaired driving there is an extensive ripple effect on all members of a community. These experiences, when combined with the Fatal Vision® products, create presentations with impact.

“It is important for youth to reach out to other youth because when youth speak to their peers the message comes across stronger,” says the YCG: T.R.E.E. member. “A student is more likely to listen to their friends than they are an adult. We’re used to being ordered around by adults, and lots of times teenagers just stop listening. This is important because maybe we can get the message across, especially when most of our friends drive or are learning how to right now.

“One of the strongest moments I found while presenting is when I was presenting to a classroom using the intoxiclock®,” the team member continues. “There was total silence when people realized how much harm one drink could have, or even two. It was much more than people realized, and it wasn’t just someone saying it would hurt you. There were facts and numbers right there.”

“The youth promote it and that works,” says Sanders. “That communicates, even across school lines.”

Imagine you’re a high school student and prom is fast approaching. You’ve got your checklist set. Date, check. Outfit, check. Dinner reservations, check. All you need are the tickets and one last thing. Your parents need to attend the pre-prom safety presentation.

The pre-prom education program put in place in Putnam County, New York aims to educate parents on prom safety. Individuals from all sectors of the community came together to form the Putnam County Communities That Care (CTC) Coalition. The coalition members share a common goal to educate the community, particularly area youth, about safe driving.

The county, which is situated 50 miles north of New York City, has just under 100,000 residents. The county’s layout makes for easy teen drinking—lots of open spaces in the country where teens can congregate, houses set far apart that make partying hard to detect, and parents who commute and work long hours. So it’s no surprise that the county has a high rate of DWIs. In fact, the 2010 Prevention Needs Assessment Survey revealed that over 61 percent of high school seniors had consumed alcohol in the last 30 days. The coalition was formed to do something about it, and it chose Innocorp, Ltd. and Fatal Vision® as a partner.

Deputy Sheriff Richard Mansfield saw the Innocorp products—particularly SIDNE®—at a conference, and came home with an enthusiastic description of what they could do for Putnam County.

“Several organizations collaborated and donated funds in order to buy these products,” explains Elaine Santos of Drug Free Communities. “The products are interactive and we felt that this type of hands-on activity would really hit home for individuals and groups taking part in the activities. It also fit into the mandated program we have for incoming senior high students.”

This mandated program requires that new seniors experience SIDNE® and other Fatal Vision® prevention tools in order to get on-site school parking privileges. The Putnam County CTC Coalition created Team SIDNE® to offer this program. The team is made up of the director of the Putnam County Mental Health/Youth Bureau Joseph DeMarzo, the Putnam executive director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependencies, Kristin McConnell, the deputy director of the Putnam County Youth Bureau, Janeen Cunningham, and Santos herself. They join with educators from Putnam Family and Community Services and student resource officers from the Sheriff’s Department. The team does a simulated field sobriety checkpoint, SIDNE® demonstrations, and Distract-A-Match® five times each summer in three-hour training sessions at each of the three large school districts in the county.

“The school gives us a roster,” Janeen Cunningham says. “We make sure they go through the training.”

The prom initiative came from a grassroots effort by concerned parents. Eventually, it came under the auspices of the Putnam County CTC Coalition. The group set a goal of raising awareness of the dangers teens face before, during, and after prom.

In order for teens to be able to purchase tickets to prom, parents must attend the pre-prom presentation. Each school district offers the program two different evenings. The team presenting the program is comprised of judges, lawyers, parents, community leaders, prevention educators, and substance abuse experts.

Use of the SUM It Cup® and intoxiclock® at PTO presentations across the county seems especially effective. “Many parents are shocked by (them),” says Santos. “Oftentimes after a training we are told by parents that they can’t believe that much alcohol in a wine or shot glass actually equals more than a single amount.”

If a parent fails to attend one of the prom presentations, the high schools follow up. The teen in question is given a waiver only if the parent could not come due to serious circumstances. Otherwise, that teen is out of luck.

Parents who attend any of the presentations that use the Fatal Vision® tools often become true believers. “The trainings have become very popular,” says Santos. “Parents tell us in their evaluations that they wish more parents would come see what the Fatal Vision® programs offer.”

But it’s the effect on students that pleases Santos and the Putnam County CTC Coalition most. Students learn the lessons in ways that convince them. The Distract-A-Match® shows them how easy it is to get distracted when driving. SIDNE® convinces them just how quickly they can lose control of a vehicle while impaired. The Fatal Vision® goggles give them firsthand experience of how scary it is to be under the influence.

“(They realize) how much is at stake if they get a DUI/DWI,” Santos concludes.

Teens are a special concern to Sergeant Bev Fraser of the Medina, Ohio, County Sheriff’s Office. “We’ve had a lot of teen accidents in our County” she says. Several have resulted in teen deaths. “Speed and inexperience were the cause of some of the accidents but distracted driving is believed to be the cause behind others.”

“Texting is a big problem,” Fraser continues, noting that recently, a girl flipped her car while texting. Though a new law prohibiting texting when driving is a step in the right direction, the Medina Sheriff’s Office is determined to reach students where they live, too.

This is why the department created a Teen Distracted Driving Prevention Program that addresses both impaired and distracted driving issues. And the star of that program is definitely SIDNE®.

“We love our SIDNE®,” says Fraser. “The students have told us they do not listen when we lecture. We asked the teens before we purchased SIDNE® and they said the hands-on experience is what makes a bigger impact on them. SIDNE® gives that vital experience in a safe environment.”

Fraser takes SIDNE® into the three schools in her district. The foremost goal is to prove to the teens that you can’t do two things at once. The students who are waiting for SIDNE® are kept busy using the Fatal Reaction® unit with the Distract-a-Match® game and the Fatal Vision® goggles. These tools help to reinforce the lessons learned on SIDNE®.

“First we send them out (in SIDNE®) in the unimpaired mode,” Fraser explains. “Then we ask them to text someone.” When the drivers inevitably hit the cones marking the course, Fraser tells them they just hit something—or someone.

This lesson not only makes a forceful impact on the SIDNE® drivers, but also on passengers. “One rider grabbed the wheel from the driver, he was so scared,” Fraser says. “It’s very effective for SIDNE® passengers. They see firsthand the danger distracted driving causes.”

Fraser also uses an exercise in which she throws a ball out on the course. “Most of them just hit it and keep going. They say they didn’t see it” she says. “I tell them, ‘That’s a child you just hit.’”

But SIDNE® doesn’t only have an impact on teens. Fraser plans to take it to a community leaders meeting so Medina County leaders can see for themselves how effective SIDNE® is. SIDNE® also goes to other community events and the department plans to expand its use by taking it to other schools in the county.

“SIDNE® even sits in the lobby by the main desk (in the Sheriff’s Office) as a constant reminder to the community,” Fraser says.

Medina Sheriff Neil F. Hassinger went through SIDNE® training himself and has attended several events. He’s seen how grateful parents are for the reality check SIDNE® gives their teens. Sheriff Hassinger had his seventeen-year-old granddaughter, complete the SIDNE® course with him as her passenger. He wanted her to learn the dangers of texting and driving firsthand.

“It is critical for us to do everything possible to protect our families and SIDNE® is another step in providing that protection,” Hassinger says. “I believe SIDNE® is a valuable tool for all ages in promoting safety in our community.”

Fraser remembers one mother was very shaken up when her son, who was about to get his temporary license, couldn’t keep SIDNE® on the course. “His younger sister responded with, ‘I’m never going to ride with him!’”

The Sheriff’s Office took six years to raise the funds to purchase SIDNE®. Most of the funds came from a $5,000 local donation and from the county’s drug interdiction team. But all the effort was well worth it.

“We’re hoping to at least convince them to put the cell phone down (while driving),” says Fraser. “There’s no one you need to talk to that much.”

For the past decade, North Dakota communities have faced a set of challenges that have created hazards for everyone there. In the Dickinson area, the challenges started with oil and pipeline projects.

“Our community is growing by leaps and bounds due to the oil activity in our area,” Becky Byzewski, director of the SW Coalition of Safe Communities (SWCSC), explains. This big influx of residents has created one initial problem. “Our roads cannot keep up with the traffic, which has increased dramatically.”

These new residents have plenty of ready cash, since the pipeline jobs pay well. Many 18-year-olds have chosen not to go to college after high school, but to work on the pipeline instead. These young workers spend their money on new recreational vehicles such as 4×4’s, four-wheelers, motorcycles, and snowmobiles.

“They work long hours for many days in a row,” Byzewski says, “and when they get off, they party.”

In addition to overcrowded roads and hearty-partying youth, the area faces a problematic attitude in the general community. “The acceptance of (underage drinking) by the community and parents,” says Byzewski, “…provides underage youth a safe haven for committing violations without fear of getting caught—or concern for consequences.”

Byzewski says that a recent community survey showed that area laws meant to punish alcohol-related crimes are too lenient to ensure offenders don’t repeat their offenses.  Tether this to lack of funding and staff among law enforcement and you have a recipe for disaster when it comes to road safety.

But when Byzewski saw Fatal Vision® goggles and SIDNE® in use at a Lifesavers Conference, she knew these tools could help her impaired driving prevention program. “We felt this would be a great learning opportunity for both youth and adults to try. It was interactive, fun, and educational, all at the same time.”

She approached Walmart for help in making the purchase. Walmart agreed to fund the project and asked SWCSC to host an event in the Walmart parking lot. Walmart provided staff to work the event, attracting attendees with root beer floats, a jumping castle, and a large double slide. Volunteers manned the blow-up equipment, and folks from local businesses like State Farm barbecued hot dogs, brats, and served soda and chips. The fun attracted a crowd for the main event: SIDNE®, Distract-a-Match®, Fatal Reflections®, and other hands-on convincers. Youth volunteers distributed information and incentive items to young drivers.
At a similar event in Bismark, one father was reduced to tears. “He said it really hit him hard, because no one wants to see their child die before they do,” Byzewski remembers. But in reality, it happens all the time.”

Her hopes are high for the reaching and positively influencing a lot of people with SIDNE®, the Fatal Vision® goggles, and other impaired driving prevention and education tools. “We hope to target 15 year-olds through 100 year-olds through schools and community events—and through businesses, particularly the oil industry,” Byzewski says. “I feel the Fatal Vision® products provide a realistic learning experience for many people. They certainly grab people’s attention at our booths and in our presentations. We like the products because they are hands-on experience for an audience.

“There is more than one thing to learn with this piece of equipment.”

A participant lifts the Fatal Vision® Goggle after failing a “Walk the Line” sobriety test.

Did you know that some judges go to college for training once they’re elected? It’s true. One of the most important topics they study is DWI—Driving While Intoxicated. And at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, instructors use Fatal Vision® Goggles as a valued educational tool.

The National Judicial College (NJC) exists to make judges lifelong learners. Located on the University of Nevada-Reno campus, it’s one of the most well known and respected colleges offering judicial education on a national basis. To attend, students must be current sitting judges in positions ranging from Justices of the Peace to State Supreme Court judges. Federal judges do not attend.

NJC is the recipient of two large grants, one from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the other from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The grants are intended to be used to educate judges about traffic issues in the U.S., such as impaired driving, a major concern for judges across the country. Since traditional treatment such as jailing most often doesn’t change offenders’ behavior, NJC teaches judges how to sentence offenders more effectively. Part of that involves educating judges on the facts of DWI through the Impaired Driving class Program Attorney Melody Luetkehans facilitates.

One vital section of that class educates judges on what happens in the field when a driver is suspected of DWI. A law-enforcement officer comes into class to administer a standardized Field Sobriety Test.

“This is where we use the Fatal Vision® Goggles,” Luetkehans explains.

The judges themselves put on the goggles and walk the line, as if they’d been stopped for impaired driving. Luetkehans has two sets of goggles: a Red Label Goggle that simulates a .12 – .15+ BAC and a Bronze Label Goggle that simulates a .07 .10+ BAC.  This shows how alcohol impairment can have a big impact on driving performance, according to Luetkehans.

“They’re a wonderful teaching tool for the judges,” she says. “They let them have a real-life experience.” Spotters are assigned to judges as they walk the line, in case they wobble. “Everyone wants to try them.”

The judges are very enthusiastic. One commented that the goggles helped him understand what officers go through in the field. Another said that the goggles are definitely worthwhile.

In fact, Luetkehans reports that several California judges find them so valuable that they use the Fatal Vision® Goggles in their own outreach to area high schools and junior high schools. They find it gives students a reality-based experience that effectively combats typical teenage “magical thinking”—that is, thinking that nothing can happen to them. Fatal Vision® Goggles prove that assumption wrong.

Luetkehans has been using the goggles in the classroom for four years, after seeing them demonstrated at a large conference where NJC also exhibits.

“They fit in with a classroom situation,” she explains.

Adults learn best when they can both relate through background experience and learn through experience, not a lecture. Fatal Vision® Goggles provide both, ensuring a learning experience that sticks with the student.

“[The goggles provide] an experience that will resonate with them when they’re up on the bench,” Luetkehans concludes.

Money’s tight all over in the current economy, and it’s no different for most law enforcement agencies. So when Kimberly Taylor, an investigator with Virginia’s Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office, wanted to add SIDNE® to the county’s outreach to high school students, she knew she was between a rock and a hard place when it came to getting the necessary funds. The creative solution she came up with brought the entire Gloucester community together with that single-minded goal.

“I was introduced to SIDNE® at the National DARE® Conference in Texas in 2008,” Taylor says. She thought SIDNE® would be a great method of holding student interest and getting across the dangers of driving under the influence and distracted driving in an interesting way. “The DUI programs I have participated in have been dry lectures and did not seem to engage the students or grab their attention.”

Taylor has been anxious to reach young drivers in particular. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles rates Gloucester County in the top ten of Virginia’s counties for DUI-related incidents. The county has lost a number of young people to alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Responding to these incidents left a profound mark on Taylor.

“The incidents were avoidable, yet the loss of life and the effects of the loss to the community were enormous,” she says. “The impact of these deaths has been nearly devastating, as many first responders know the victims. This is a small, close-knit community.”

She saw SIDNE® as a way to reduce the number of alcohol-related fatalities in Gloucester County—if she could obtain one.

When asked what her Number One challenge was to bringing SIDNE® on board, Taylor immediately responds, “MONEY!!!!” So she started her quest to add SIDNE® to the department’s outreach program by generating word-of-mouth buzz.

“I frequently spoke of SIDNE® and what a great program it seemed to be,” she says. “The right people heard me and offered to help with a number of ideas. When I approached the command staff about raising money for the program, they were skeptical but gave me the okay to proceed. [They] told me to be prepared for disappointment.”

And, at first, that was what Taylor got. “I looked at grants to purchase the program but purchasing equipment was prohibited by the grant guidelines.”

But before long the Gloucester community itself took up the cause. “An owner of a local restaurant, Rosemary & Wine, came up with the idea when applying for the grant failed,” Taylor says. “She offered her restaurant and suggested a ‘Celebrity Wait Staff.’” The idea was to attract customers during the fundraising period by having prominent local figures at customers’ beck and call. The restaurant owner had done fundraisers like this before, but on a much smaller scale.

Taylor seized the opportunity, along with others in the community. Gloucester County Sheriff E. S. Gentry solicited volunteers to wait tables for three nights, and volunteered for three nights himself. Other community celebs included the Assistant Superintendent of Schools, a local Catholic priest, managers from two area banks, and other business owners and community leaders, including the captain and major of the Sheriff’s Office. Area newspapers leapt at the chance to promote and cover the event. Court personnel and school board members supported the fundraiser.

“Having the school, courts, and Sheriff’s Office work together seemed to be effective,” Taylor says. “[It was] effective and was a great experience in building the cooperative relationship.

The upshot of the community effort was that the county now owns its own SIDNE®. Taylor says plans are in the works for putting SIDNE® into action. SIDNE® will have a part in the Driver Education Program at the local high school. Taylor sees it fitting into other existing programs too, such as Ident-A-Kid®, DARE®, and Child Safety Seats. There’s even a plan in place to use SIDNE® in the court system.

“The Juvenile and Domestic Relations judge has expressed an interest in using the SIDNE® program as a sentencing tool for juvenile offenders in alcohol-related matters before her court,” Taylor explains. “[She’s] excited to incorporate SIDNE®.”

Because of Taylor’s passion and the community’s creative determination, SIDNE® has become a new tool to help lower DUI-related incidents in Gloucester County.

Michael, how long have you been at Innocorp, and how would you describe your role at the company?

Along with my business partner, Pat Flaherty, I founded Innocorp about 15 years ago, in May of 1996. I view my role in the company as continually navigating the metaphorical starship toward new profitable opportunities and ensuring ship and crew are prepared for the journey.

Who would you say has influenced your career the most, and in what way?

Many people have influenced my career along the way, and not always in ways that you might expect. Early in my career, when I was in my 20s, I worked for the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) as a systems analyst. I recall one day one of my co-workers commenting that he only had 10 more years to go and then he could finally retire. That statement struck me as a sad state of affairs and a terrible waste of 10 years. It was then that I resolved to never settle for any career that didn’t provide fulfillment, challenge, and a significant sense of accomplishment.

Who would you most like to be a mentor to, or have influence on, and in what way?

I would most like to be an influence on young people who want to be entrepreneurs. I’ve had a few opportunities over the last several years to make classroom presentations as an invited guest speaker to students on the topic of business and entrepreneurship. I have really enjoyed those presentations and feel it is important to share my experiences and insights with the next generation. There are many lessons in life that you don’t learn from a classroom, and I believe those lessons may ultimately be more critical to our success in business.

What would you say is the personal high point in your career?

There have been many high points. One in particular happened at one of the many trade shows we attend each year as part of our marketing efforts. A customer approached our booth and commented that he really appreciated our work in providing products that helped him in his prevention and awareness campaigns. He said he felt our products were revolutionizing health and safety prevention initiatives. I was so flattered by that statement that we adopted his comment as one of our marketing taglines: “Revolutionizing Health, Safety and Prevention Initiatives.” It is very fulfilling to hear how our products are impacting the lives and work of others in a positive way.

Are there any long-range goals that you’d like to achieve before leaving Innocorp?

Our latest initiative is creating cause marketing campaigns that use our tools to bring about significant change in reducing traffic-related injuries and death. One specific campaign that we are developing is called M.E.T.H.O.D. (Mind, Eyes, Two Hands on Driving). The problem of deaths and injuries due to distracted driving, especially distraction caused by cell phone use, will only get worse unless we take steps to change our driving environments and behaviors. Our goal is to make M.E.T.H.O.D. a model in bringing about that change.

What do you read to help keep you current in your field? What trade associations or training do you belong to that you feel are a good referral?

I was recently accepted into the doctoral program at UW-Madison in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and will start classes this fall. I expect all readings and study that I will be doing will pay tremendous benefits in my work at Innocorp.

What career aspirations did you have when you were in high school?

In high school, my initial idea was to study physics in college and to be some type of mad scientist. However, in my senior year, 1972, our school got a rudimentary IBM computer. I took one of the first computer classes offered at our high school and I fell in love with programming. That love led to a degree in computer science from the University of Missouri-Rolla and an early career as a systems analyst.

Think back to your first paycheck. Where was it from, and for what job? How much was it?

My first paycheck out of college went to my first car payment for a new 1976 Pontiac Trans Am. My first job out of college was as a systems analyst for the Missouri Public Service Commission working in Jefferson City, Mo.

Did you have any entrepreneurial interests at a young age?

My entrepreneurial interests didn’t blossom until I was out of college and working in industry. At some point during my early career, I formed the belief that working in industry for someone else was not a path to financial wealth and that my best opportunity for generating wealth would be as an entrepreneur.

What brought you to Madison?

I think it was a 1985 issue of Money magazine where Madison was rated the top place to live in the country. In addition to that, I love the diversity and excitement that is inherent in a college town. So, my wife and I decided to move to Madison back in 1987. Madison has been a dream city for us, and we have enjoyed every moment living here.

Is there anything you’d like to share about your family?

I’m a lucky person to have the loving family that I do. My daughter and son are very special people who are smart, independent, and accomplished individuals. I am very proud of them both. My wife and I have really been making the most of our time together as empty nesters and have been having a blast taking dance lessons, entering races, going on motorcycle rides, and in general having fun. My wife also happens to be the chief operating officer of Innocorp, so that we can leave the office behind and focus on having fun together is an accomplishment in itself.

What do you do to relax outside of the office?

I’ve really gotten into running, and the last race I ran was the NYC Half-Marathon. Running and exercise are very important to me as a means to get my mind off of business and to take the time to decompress. It really helps when I register for a race because I then have a goal outside of business to pursue. My next major event is a crazy race called the Tough Mudder. It’s a 10-mile race that involves obstacles like running through flames, scaling 12-foot walls, jumping off a cliff into a lake, running through an electrified wire field, and other insane challenges. I’ve never done anything like this before, so this should be interesting.

What’s your favorite place to travel to, and why?

I have three. One is the Grand’Place in Brussels. I’ve been there a couple of times with my family and it is indeed grand and historic. Another is Jackson Hole, Wyo., because my son and I have gone there several years now skiing and there’s nothing like the natural beauty of the Grand Tetons. Another is New York City because my daughter and her fiance live and work there. There are great sites and restaurants everywhere in NYC!

What kinds of books do you read for pleasure?

Some of my favorite books include Change or Die by Alan Deutschman, The Drunkard’s Walk by Leonard Mlodinow, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The theme in all of these books might be “what influences who we are and what we become.”

What character in any sport, book, movie, or play would you most like to be identified with, and why?

Iron Man, because it would be fun to have a suit that allowed you to fly and have access to some pretty cool weapons that allowed you to take out the bad guys.

Finally, list three words you think best describe you:

Driven, passionate, fun.

Article Source: ibmadison.com

Vendors in the lobby hawk everything from hot dogs to T-shirts to CDs.

And among the usual vendors, one table stands out. Above it, black and white signs proclaim “PHONE CONDOM™.”

Phone Condom? the concert attendees ask each other. This we’ve got to see.

“The black Phone Condom poster was very eye-catching,” says Mandi Seethaler of the Alaska Injury Prevention Center in Anchorage. Mandi took the Phone Condom’s message on the road with her to the January 11th Ludacris concert in Anchorage. She thought it was the perfect venue to get that lesson across.

What is that lesson? It’s a simple call to action: Park your phone when you drive your car.

“Distracted driving is a huge issue (in Alaska),” Mandi explains. The problem is getting the attention of the driving public—especially younger drivers.

The Alaska Injury Prevention Center has used the Fatal Vision® goggles and texting posters at teen driving programs before, so they were excited to try out the Phone Condom, which is a sealable pouch that hangs from a key ring to remind the driver to seal up his or her phone before driving. The idea is to remove the temptation to talk or text and drive.

“Most people who get their hands on them think they’re great,” says Prevention Center Projects Director Beth Schuerman.

That proved true at the Ludacris concert. “We gave a free Phone Condom to concert-goers to complete a survey,” Mandi says. “A lot of them got a big chuckle out of it. Everyone who came to the table took one.”

The survey the concert attendees filled out included four questions with eye-popping responses:

1. How often do you talk on a cell phone while driving a car?
   • 38.6% replied sometimes or often
   • 33.7% replied almost every time
2. How often do you read or send text messages while driving your car?
   • 54.2% replied sometimes/often
   • 19.3% replied almost every time
3. Do you plan to put your cell phone in the phone pouch while driving?
   • 57.8% replied yes
   • 31.3% replied maybe
   • 10.8% replied no
4. Would you recommend this to a friend?
   • 95.2% replied yes
   • 4.8% replied no

“We tried to keep it short, so they’d be more likely to respond,” Mandi explains.

The Alaska Injury Prevention Center purchased the product because the staff thought it was interesting and clever. “Plus,” adds Mandi, “it’s physical. They have to do something with it.” That reinforces the overall message of not allowing a cell phone to distract your driving.

The Center has also distributed Phone Condoms through a local radio station and high school. The Center purchased the ones with the young adult message to distribute at the high school. Phone Condoms with more mature messages printed on them are also available.

“One of the high school nurses loves the idea for kids,” says Beth. “She said, ‘They need to wake up and understand the risk.’ She’s been really helpful.”

Mandi says that working with Innocorp, Ltd. was easy for Center staff. Among other things, Innocorp allowed her to use graphics to help her customize literature for her Ludacris outreach.

What does the future hold for the Center’s use of Phone Condoms? Beth is working with a previous safety outreach partner, the University of Alaska. “We plan to do more.”