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 The new Drunk Buster carts and marijuana goggles were
demonstrated by local firefighters, who were also involved in the
acquisition of the new tools.
The carts and goggles were funded in part by a
donation from Joe Ryan and Country Financial. Ryan was on hand,
airing a live show of the Cheap Seats, a sports themed talk show on
WLCN Radio in Atlanta.
The Drunk Buster carts are pedal-powered go-carts with four wheels
and a steering wheel. At the beginning of the activity local
firefighters Kerns and Davis hopped on the carts and took a quick
trip around the back parking lot at the Lincoln Police Station.
They enjoyed the ride that first time around and even raced a little
bit to get back into the garage on Sixth Street and out of the rain.
Next, they put on a pair of the goggles that simulate what you see
or don’t see when driving under the influence.
This time, the trip around the parking lot was much slower and
neither one drove with confidence. While the goggles impaired their
vision it did not cloud their minds, and they were well aware that
they were driving at a disadvantage.
When they came back inside the garage they spoke about what they
experienced. Kern’s said that he had felt off-balance, “didn’t have
any bearings” and nauseated while driving. Davis agreed saying that
he felt very ‘dizzy’ the entire time.
In another exercise wearing just the goggles, two of the
firefighters tried tossing a football. First without the goggles the
two threw perfect spirals to one another inside the garage. Then
with the goggles on, the thrower tossed the ball. It arced then
slammed into the floor about five-foot in front of the catcher,
demonstrating the lack of coordination and inability to perceive
distance when impaired.
Lincoln D.A.R.E. Officer Christy Fruge’ spoke with Ryan during the
radio show, first thanking Ryan for the donation that contributed to
the purchase of the new equipment.
Later, she noted that the carts and goggles cost about $2,000 and
that Ryan’s contribution had made a big difference in the ability to
purchase the carts.
During the presentation, they talked about the size of the carts.
Fruge’ said that when looking at the carts online, and getting ready
to place her order, she noted that though in a neighboring state the
carts were going to cost almost as much as they were worth to ship.
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She and a fellow D.A.R.E. officer took a day and went
and picked them up to save money. She said when they got back to the
Lincoln Police department, officers were also surprised by the size
of the carts, and several were anxious to take them for a spin.
Fruge’ said the carts, which have adjustable seats,
can be utilized for middle school and high school students, but also
can be ridden by adults. She went on to say that because of the
coronavirus, the carts won’t get a lot of exposure this year.
However, her hope is to have them at local events and festivals,
such as the Third Friday’s downtown in Lincoln next year.
Ryan also noted the involvement of the fire department and reminded
listeners that when a vehicle accident occurs first responders from
local fire departments are among the first to arrive on the scene.
They see the impact that impaired driving has firsthand.
Included in the purchase were selections of goggles that will help
wearers understand the impact of various forms of impairment. The
drunk goggles come in graduated levels from .04 on the lower end to
the “Totally Wasted Goggle” that simulates a blood alcohol level of
up to .35. There are also goggles that simulate the effects of drug
usage such as the cannabis goggle, and the impact of fatigue, such
as the “Snooze” and “Red-eye” goggles.
Fruge’ said that there are also activity kits to go along with the
goggles, such coloring pages for kids where they color without the
goggles, then attempt to color the same picture with the goggles on.
The lesson is that it is harder to stay inside the lines when you’re
drunk, thus you can’t be good at what you do when you are impaired,
busting the myth that certain drugs make people perform better.
Fruge’ is delighted to have such an amazing set of tools in her
toolbox for the war on drug and alcohol abuse. She noted that
whatever can be done to impress upon our youth the perils of
substance abuse is well worth doing.
On a sidebar, after the radio appearance on the Cheap Seats, Fruge’
also talked briefly about a generous anonymous donation she received
earlier this year. A couple who had received the federal stimulus
checks due to Covid-19 had felt they didn’t really need the money,
and wanted to do something worthwhile with it. They donated their
checks to the Lincoln D.A.R.E. program.
Fruge’ said that she still has some of the cash left, and has been
utilizing it as needed to help pay for shoes and other items for
local youth. Fruge’ is also the School Resource Officer for District
27 in Lincoln, working primarily with the junior high school. She
said that she sees the need for suitable clothing and shoes
throughout the school.
Combining the D.A.R.E program and her role as SRO, Fruge’ is working
with those children to help them stay productive and healthy in
school. A part of that is to assure that they have what they need in
order to attend school - shoes, sweatshirts and coats are a big need
she is delighted to be able to help with due to the generosity of
others.
If you are interested in supporting the local D.A.RE. cash donations
are happily accepted at the Lincoln Police Station, 710 Fifth
Street.
[Nila Smith] |
