Memorandum of Understanding (.pdf)
About The Program
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injuries in King County for the age group of 15—19 years old. Think Again is a unique effort by the K.C.F.L.S.A. to reach high school drivers with real-life stories of the consequences of not wearing seatbelts, and of using alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
Instructors for this classroom presentation are firefighters and paramedics who
use graphic car crash photos, personal stories and audience participation
scenarios to depict the consequences of reckless driving decisions. Funds are
provided by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and King County EMS. The
program has reached over 31,000 young adolescents since 1998, when the program
began.
Participating departments in 2004 were Auburn, Bellevue, Bothell, District #40, Federal Way, Eastside Fire, Kent, Kirkland, Northshore, Redmond, Seattle, and Shoreline.
A variety of funds were obtained
during 2003 to support the Think Again program beyond the baseline funding to
run the program. The Washington State Traffic Safety Commission granted $6,800
for the K.C.F.L.S.A. to provide Think Again promotional presentations throughout the
State. This included two Statewide Train-the-Trainer classes. King County EMS
also provided funding for classroom
presentations. To
further promote the program in King County, a grant of
$5,000 was secured from the Washington State Department of Health via the
Washington Traffic Safety Commission to produce a promotional video for use by
member departments. Additionally, the Washington State Department of Health
awarded $8,700 to fund an analysis of the Think Again program through an
observational seat belt survey at schools where the program is presented in 2002. Part
of this funding also provided a give-away item of key chains with a Think Again
message for students who attend the program.
The efforts of both the KCFLSA Think Again Steering Committee, and member fire departments, were recognized when the Think Again program was awarded the WTSC Traffic Safety Superstar Award in Educational Outreach at the annual WTSC DUI conference in December 2001 at the West Coast Hotel in Olympia, MADD's (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Washington State Community Education Honors in 2000.
For Information on how you can receive this presentation in your high school, contact Josie Williams at: