Like many Americans this morning, I have found myself glued to the television looking at the devastation from the bridge collapse in Minneapolis.  The amazing part is to listen to the accounts of how good samaritins came to the rescue of others.  They joined law enforcement and emergency personnel to pull people from wreckage and the water.  The person you may have just cut-off on the road may be saving your life moments later.  Unexpected tragedies remind us, even if it is for a short period of time, to think twice about our actions.  The life we save by thinking twice might be our own.

We find a way to come together as families face the loss of loved ones.  We find a way to move forward to prevent tragedies from happening again.  James “Shib” Miller, a Southern Illinois firefighter, was killed last week.  Shib had been working the scene of a tractor-trailer fire.  He was rolling up a hose when a Greyhound bus ran into him.  As the result of Shib’s death, local firefighters are proposing “Shib’s Law” allowing emergency personnel the ability to shut down a roadway.  Two days ago, a California Highway Patrol Officer, Douglas Scott Russell, was killed by a motorist leading a high-speed chase.  Officer Russell was attempting to deploy stop sticks when the suspect aimed his car at Officer Russell and murdered him.  Last month, Howard County, Maryland Officer Scott Wheeler was killed when he was struck by a motorist he was trying to stop for speeding.  Officer Wheeler was conducting “step-out” speed enforcement where officers would step out into the roadway flagging motorists to pull over.  Maryland is now reviewing their “step-out” policies and have halted them for the time being.

All of these things, shutting down the roadway, laying out stop-sticks and “step-out” speed enforcement are all incredibly controversial issues.  I won’t state my opinion (or that of FORS) for or against any of these things.  Our goal is simply to bring them home.  There are always valid arguments, for and against, but we have to remember the bottom line…bring them home.

I will try to keep this month’s update to a minimum.  I fractured my left arm last week, so typing with one hand is quite a challenge.  Please excuse any TpyNiG errors :O

Haywood County, NC law enforcement and emergency personnel are a little safer thanks to NC Dept of Transportation (NCDOT).  NCDOT installed rumble strips on Hwy 19/23/74, aka “the bypass”, this week.  The rumble strips are ground out areas along the shoulder of the road that alert motorists when they are crossing onto the shoulder.  They serve as an alert, not only to motorists, but to officers, emergency and highway personnel that a motorist has left the roadway.  On May 30th, 2003, trucker Bradford Layton, in an interview with the NC State Highway Patrol stated that “the rumble strips usually wake me up….tell me that I need to maybe pull over…get off at the next stop.”  Bradford Layton ran over and killed Trooper Anthony Cogdill on May 30th, 2003 as Anthony was conducting a traffic stop.  There were no rumble strips on the section of I-40 where Anthony was killed.  As the result of our request, NCDOT installed rumble strips a few months later on I-40 in Haywood County.  Thank you so much NCDOT.

Thank you to the Haywood Community College Criminal Justice Club that presented FORS with a $500 donation this summer!!  You guys are awesome!!!

Please remember that donation to FORS can now be made online via Paypal.  Visit our website www.f-o-r-s.com and click on “Make A Donation.”

I have been working hard the past several months to bring our nationwide Move Over List as up to date as possible.  We hope to have a section on our website in the coming months that will provide the detail for you.  If you would like a detailed copy of this list, please contact me.  In summary, we have forty-three states with a Move Over Law.  However, of this list, the state of New York’s law ONLY mentions only a reduction in speed rather than moving over.  We are leaving NY on our list for the time being.  The seven states WITHOUT a Move Over Law are: Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

Thank you to everyone who turned out for the Trooper Anthony Cogdill Memorial Golf Tournament this year.  Anthony’s son, Cody, did an awesome job of teeing off to begin the tournament.  He was even on local news, WLOS, taking a swing!!

Finally, please don’t forget about the upcoming annual CALVIN TAYLOR TOY RIDE.  You can visit our website’s related links section http://www.f-o-r-s.com/home/related-links and click on CALVIN TAYLOR TOY RIDE for details.  The ride will take place on September 8th.  The Masons, who sponsor the ride, will have a booth at this weekend’s MATER FESTIVAL in Canton, North Carolina.  They are selling CALVIN TAYLOR TOY RIDE cookbooks for $10 at the booth!  Wouldn’t Calvin love to know that we are all eating in his memory!!!  A true Taylor tradition :)!!!!

For Calvin, for Anthony and for everyone who has lost their lives protecting others…Move Over, Slow Down for Stopped Emergency and Public Service Vehicles.  The life you save may be your own.