Happy New Year!

It is so hard to begin a new year without first reflecting on 2005.

We began 2005 with a draft of a bill for amendments to the NC Move Over Law.  Within 7 months Governor Mike Easley was signing his name to House Bill 288 (for which several of us received the pens Gov. Easley used to sign the bill).  Thank you to all North Carolina legislators who unanimously voted for the bill, especially our sponsors Rep. Ray Rapp, Rep. Bill McGee and Senator John Snow.   A special thank you to Tony Adams who fought tirelessly on behalf of FORS to gain the support of all our NC legislators.  Additionally, thank you to the NC Towers Assoc. and to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for supporting our efforts and supporting the bill.  Thank you as well to Pam Wilcox Smith (Assistant DA and wife of a NC state trooper) for assisting us in writing the bill.

For those of you in western North Carolina, you may see our two Move Over billboards floating around.  Thank you so much to Gary Ayers with Allison Outdoor Advertising for always having space to protect those who protect us!

Thank you to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for making our highways safer.  As I travel around NC I am seeing more and more rumble strips on the shoulders of our major interstates and highways!  If they are not in your area, they more than likely will be by 2010.  2005 also began with the installation of four emergency roadside areas in Haywood County.  If their function serves well, we will hopefully see them in other areas of our state!

Thank you to all those who made donations to FORS in 2005.  I will not list our donors to ensure their privacy, but I must extend a special thank you to MANY North Carolina firefighter associations who have challenged one another to meet $500 donations that the others have presented to FORS.  So far they have provided almost 25% of our 2005 donations!

In 2005, we raised over $4000!  We have very little operating expenses (my desk in my kitchen was already paid for :)) and are able to use our funds to simply promote the Move Over Law.  We are nowhere near our $30,000 goal for statewide billboards, so we urge and beg you…If you know of anyone or any organization that can assist us, whether it is $25 or $2500, WE NEED THEIR HELP!

PLEASE remember, the life you save by making a donation to FORS may be your own.

2005 also brought tragedy to hundreds of law enforcement officers, firefighters, rescue workers and towers.  I want to mention specifically, TN Trooper Todd Larkins.  His death taught the state of TN that you cannot pass a law to protect people and then do nothing about it.  Todd’s wife Alicia has made sure that Todd’s life would continue to save the lives of others.  Since the time of Todd’s death Alicia has worked to make sure that other TN law enforcement officers and emergency workers would make it home at the end of their shift by making sure that TN promoted the Move Over Law.  She is a truly amazing woman.

At the end of 2005, Stan Cogdill and I had the wonderful opportunity to be guest speakers alongside Tim Hayes.  Tim Hayes lost his legs several years ago as a medic in Mecklenburg County.  He now travels the country with his family sharing his amazing and courageous recovery.  We look forward to seeing them again in 2006!

Thank you to respondersafety.com for keeping us in the nationwide loop.

Thank you to our webmaster Jay Soesbee and his wife Amy (E-Starr) for maintaining our site.  Thank you as well to our board of directors…Stan Cogdill, Matthew Gibson, Brooke Smith, Tina Honeycutt and Jay Soesbee.

If there is anyone I forgot to thank for their assistance in 2005, please accept my apologies, but I am fixing toy John Deere tractors and doing math homework while typing this.

What will 2006 hold for us?  Sadly, Texas law enforcement has already lost Trooper Billy Jack Zachary as he was struck during a traffic stop.  For the families who wait with the light on, we hope that our family will not be the next.  FORS will continue in 2006 to focus on promoting the MOVE OVER LAW.  The changes made in NC will become effective in July.  The NCSHP and NCDOT have worked to help promote the Move Over Law.  The more that FORS can do to continue our efforts the more lives can be saved.

THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN! 
Please help us. 

Send your donation to:

FORS

141 Spirea Drive

Waynesville, NC  28785

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy 2006.