Monica Zech is the Public Information Officer for the City of El Cajon, Police and Fire Departments, and the City’s Safety Educator.

A native San Diegan, Zech began her career with the fire department on August 13, 2001, becoming the City’s Public Information Officer on July 18th, 2005.

Prior to joining the City of El Cajon, Monica was a 30-year veteran of Television & Radio News, the last 18 years as an award traffic reporter. Switching careers from broadcasting to the fire department was a dramatic career change, but Monica felt her prayers had been answered to have a job that allows her to provide safety education “full time” and to proudly represent and work directly with the heroic men and women of the El Cajon Fire and Police Departments.

On March 9, 2005 Monica was an honored recipient of the Individual 2005 Public Health Champion Award for her as the Safety Educator/Lecturer for the El Cajon Fire Department. This honor was given by the County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency. This award recognized Monica’s extraordinary achievement in protecting and promoting the health and safety of all those throughout San Diego County. During 2007 Monica received several awards for her

work in safety. (*See the awards and recognition section of this website)

In Monica’s previous career in broadcasting, the last 18 years she was an “award-winning” Television and radio traffic reporter. But, she most enjoyed her work “off the air” in safety education. For more than 20 years (since 1984) Monica has been an injury prevention speaker and researcher in “traffic safety.” But now, she speaks on variety of other safety issues from fire safety to disaster preparedness.

How it started? In 1984, it was during her first few months as a traffic reporter that Monica began her work and passion for safety thanks to her safety research with local emergency personnel, trauma room surgeons, the medical examiner’s office and with safety organizations. It was through this work Monica quickly saw the crucial need to add safety education to her on-air reports and provide driving safety lectures in the community. As a result, the demand for her lectures spread to not only schools but to parenting groups, civic groups, companies, military bases and for major Safety Conferences throughout Southern California…a demand that continues today.

Among the top safety issues Monica addresses in her work are the dangers of aggressive driving & road rage, and driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs. Sadly, and ironically, on June 5th, 1992, her work in traffic safety took on an even deeper meaning when her own father (John G. Pacheco), while as a pedestrian, was struck and killed by a drunk driver.

But, lightning can strike a family twice, when in February of 2005, Monica’s daughter “Victoria” was struck by a 17 year-old female – unlicensed – DUI driver. Thankfully, due to Victoria’s alertness and quick actions, she was able to avoid a direct side impact to her driver’s side. Her injuries were somewhat minor, but of course Monica was very thankful her daughter was able to avoid serious injury – but most of all “death.”

Monica says her work in safety continues not only in memory of her father – but in memory of all those killed and injured in traffic collisions everyday.

In community work, Monica is currently the board President of CASA – Communities Against Substance Abuse, and a board member of St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center.   She is member of the Elk’s Lodge in El Cajon and the Heartland Lions  group. She is also an advisory board member for WalkSanDiego, a group dealing with pedestrian safety. She also assists other safety organizations as safety speaker and/or media advisor.

• If you’d like to arrange a safety lecture for your school, group, company safety meeting, company conference or military safety stand-down, please contact Monica Zech at (619) 460-0299, or e-mail your request to monicazech@cox.net

Some additional background information: During her broadcast career, it was in January of 1984 that Monica became San Diego’s first female airborne traffic reporter, for the Automobile Club of Southern California. After just a few months, Monica became San Diego’s very first “television airborne traffic & news reporter.” She first reported for NBC 7/39, and then added ABC Channel 10. It was quite an honor and accomplishment for Monica’s broadcast career, that as a reporter, she had the rare opportunity of delivering traffic and news coverage for two television stations and some ten radio stations during morning and afternoon commutes. In that first year of reporting from the air, Monica was the first reporter on scene for the San Ysidro McDonalds massacre. She reported non-stop for an hour and 45 minutes until SWAT Team snipers fired the last shot to end the siege.  She received a Golden Mike and two San Diego Press Club awards for her reporting.  Monica’s dedication to safety has been recognized by others in the community. In 1995, Monica was asked by San Diego Mayor Susan Golding to be a member of the mayor’s Transportation Demand Appeals Board.

In 1998, Monica’s work was recognized nationally when she received a call from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Washington D.C. to help as a consultant and researcher on a committee to address the growing problem of “aggressive driving & road rage”. As a result, Monica began educating her audiences on ways to reduce the stress of driving…and how to deal with the “road rage.” She also addresses the problem of “Red Light Running” and the essential need of “RED Light Photo Enforcement.” Recognizing her efforts, the National Campaign Against Red Light Running, also in Washington D.C., named Monica Zech their San Diego spokesperson in 2001.  It’s pretty obvious Monica’s passion is “safety.”