By MC1 Chris Fahey, NMCB 3 Public Affairs
CM1 Jeremy Harris from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 gives a presentation on vehicular safety and accident preparedness to Navy service members assigned to NMCB 3, NMCB 4 and Naval Base Ventura County, May 16, during a safety stand down organized by NMCB 3 s safety team. Photo by MC1 Chris Fahey
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 s Safety Department teamed up with NMCB 4 and Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) to conduct critical safety training for 700 Sailors assigned to the combined commands.
As preparation for the start of 101 Days of Summer, the most active and often costly period regarding safety each year, participants rotated through seven stations, each focused on a topic proven to pose the most risk to service members during the warm months.
The stand down is dedicated to ensuring our service members stay safe while out with their families and friends taking full advantage of the summertime, said NMCB 3 Safety Lead CEC Chance Agnew.
During the stand down, service members listened to medical, recreational and outdoor experts teach important lessons on the value of heat preparedness, responsible drinking, food care, hydration and several other topics related to those found common enemies to safety and health. Above all, personal injury and vehicle safety were stressed above all.
NMCB 3 s Battalion Physician, Lt. Karen Ganacias provided all in attendance with a thorough understanding of symptoms and ways to avoid injuries sustained while playing sports or enjoying the outdoors.
Battalion Physician Lt. Karen Ganacias from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 gives a presentation on personal and sports-related injuries to Navy service members assigned to NMCB 3, NMCB 4 and Naval Base Ventura County, May 16, during a safety stand down organized by NMCB 3 s safety team. Photo by MC1 Chris Fahey
Ganacias specifically identified symptoms related to concussions, warning signs of heat distress and how to properly care for sprains and muscle pulls.
Our battalion is pretty well versed on how to spot and get help for most the things [Lt. Ganacias] discussed because we do a great job at keeping this information constantly in play, said NMCB 3 participant EA1 Willie Blanding. No matter how many times we discuss it, it never fails to provide value.
With many motorcycle accidents resulting in death or injury, vehicle safety was the second topic shown special attention. Seabees from NMCB 3 displayed two dirt bikes, a street bike and thousands of dollars of personal protective gear to display some of the tools of preparedness and smart decision-making while on the road.
I have a huge scar that s never going away from a slipped chain on my dirt bike, said NMCB 3 CM1 Jeremy Harris while addressing participants. That scar serves as a permanent reminder that I could have been killed from not doing basic maintenance and checks before going out and having fun.
The team s brief on vehicle safety included basic checks, routine maintenance, what to do if in an accident and how to best avoid costly mistakes commonly made while operating a bike or behind the wheel.
During the entire event, we saw great interaction between the presenters and the participants and could tell the information was getting through, said Agnew.
NMCB 3 is a vital component to the U.S. Maritime Strategy and provides quality construction, humanitarian assistance, disaster response and combat engineering in arduous environments across the Pacific. During their homeport period, the battalion is conducting battalion and force-level training dedicated to preparing them for their next deployment.
A representative from Naval Base Ventura County s (NBVC) Moral, Welfare and Recreation office takes count of Navy service members assigned to NMCB 3, NMCB 4 and NBVC who plan to take advantage of the summer months during a safety stand down organized by NMCB 3 s safety team, May 16. Photo by MC1 Chris Fahey