Stay Alert – Stay Alive!
Traffic fatalities continue to climb! My informational and inspirational safe driving presentations will help make you more aware of the dangers that often lead to collisions, whether driving, riding, or walking – helping to reduce the “collision risk factor.” See why traffic collisions continue to be the number one 9-1-1 emergency call for first responders. This new awareness will help you avoid (or stop) bad driving habits to “reduce” your collision risk factor – making you a better – more alert driver and pedestrian! Be advised traffic fatalities have gone up dramatically during 2020 and 2021. Corporate Speaker for Companies – Program Planners: My presentation will help reinforce your company’s safe driving policies – especially for employees driving company vehicles, such as no texting or other cell phone use while driving. I’ll also make you aware of some critical issues when driving “company” vehicles. I take the place of two speakers, providing a professional perspective from my work with emergency responders and as a victim, sharing my personal experiences with some of the major issues I cover. Military Safety Stand-downs – Safety Officers: I offer hard-hitting talks for your safety stand-downs, especially before and during the holidays. Emphasizing the dangers and impact of driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, driving distracted (texting), and the risks of riding motorcycles. My speaker’s fee is waived for our Military heroes within San Diego County. Outside the County – I may require travel and boarding expenses as needed. Schedule Your Event Colleges/High Schools: I can cover specific topics by requesting a presentation for your group or class. My talks can range from 20, 30, or 60 minutes up to 3 hours or more for your company conference or military safety stand-down. I continually update my discussions with the latest stats, pictures, videos, and latest news stories to help drive home the message. High Schools – my talk is ideal before proms, for “Every 15 Minutes” programs, and before graduations. When speaking to colleges, my talk is perfect for fraternities, sororities, health science courses, etc. *I share my experience as a former spokesperson for police and fire and as a veteran air traffic reporter for local television and radio. In addition, I continue to work with crash scene investigators, the Medical Examiner’s Office, and local and National Safety organizations for my research. Some of the topics covered:- Distracted driving – texting, cellphones, and more (our #1 problem)
- Dangers of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs
- Motorcycle safety
- Stress & Road Rage – how to curb the rage
- Aggressive Driving – examples
- Red Light Runners & Red-Light Photo Enforcement – video examples
- Dangers of Rolling through STOP Signs – examples
- Dynamics of a crash – what are the significant factors that cause injury & death in crashes
- Importance of obeying traffic laws made for our safety
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance Protection
- Importance of wearing seat belts
- Types of crashes – rollover, side-impact, rear-ender, etc.
- Car Seat Safety – Remember your precious cargo
- Dangers of Speed
- Driving company vehicles
- Know who you are riding with
- Pedestrian Safety
- Being a good safety role model for your family – especially your future teen drivers – (great for parenting groups)
- Losing my father to a DUI driver in June of 1992
- My daughter was injured in a collision by a DUI driver in February of 2005
- I was the victim of a STOP sign runner in August of 2003 – a crash that should have paralyzed me.
- Drivers have hit me on their cellphones – I’m well aware of the dangers
St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center
Company Safe Driving Presentation for St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center. Today I had the pleasure of delivering my safe driving talk to about 150 of their amazing employees. I’m always excited to pass along ways we can improve our driving skills and reduce the risk factor of being involved in a collision. CEO Debra Emerson, who stayed for the one-and-a-half-hour session at the close, said to her employees that this was the best safety stand-down they’ve ever had. Wow, I was very honored to hear her words of praise and feel very blessed! Thank you for inviting me to speak and for all the important work you provide in our community.
Naval Base Ventura County
Dear Ms. Zech,
Subj: Letter of Appreciation
It is with great pleasure that I express my sincere appreciation for your enthusiastic efforts during the Naval Base Ventura County’s (NBVC) Holiday Safety Stand Down on 18 December 2015.
Your outstanding contributions to the United States Navy in utilizing your personal and professional experiences to educate and mentor our community onboard NBVC concerning “Drunk and Distracted Driving” were greatly appreciated.
Your energetic performance heightened the learning experience and positively enriched the subject matter to all Sailors. I am truly thankful for your exceptional support provided to the NBVC team and extend you a hearty “Bravo Zulu” for a job well done!
Sincerely,
C.D. Janke Captain, U.S. Navy Commanding Officer
La Jolla High School 2022
Today I had the extreme honor and pleasure of speaking to the senior class, of over 300 students, at La Jolla High School! I spoke on Driving Safety on behalf of myself & MADD. “Thank you” for all your wonderful compliments and hugs following my presentation. I feel so blessed to have made such an impact on these students. Have a safe and fun prom on Friday evening. Congratulations to the Class of 2022 – Praying you have an amazing future!
Note: When I gathered my presentation equipment to leave, about 20-30 minutes later, Ms. Hutchins, who invited me to speak, walked with me back to the entrance to leave. Along the way, a teacher came out of his classroom and stopped me to say, “THANK YOU! That his students were all talking raving about my presentation, how great it was, and that it was very powerful. He thanked me again for coming to speak to them! This is why I love speaking, especially to students!
Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Base
Monica,
I just wanted to thank you again for taking the time to talk to my command. I’ve heard overwhelmingly positive feedback about the talk from my people. It made the issue so real to them and they appreciated that. Thank you for what you do, and if we can help you out in the future please let us know. Happy Thanksgiving!
Very Respectfully,
LT Amy Hunt
Cajon Valley Union School District
2018 – (This compliment came 10 years later – but is still very much appreciated, and among the nicest compliments of my work as a Public Information Officer.)
This incident occurred in April of 2008, involving a near-drowning at a local middle school. I was asked to address the media as a spokesperson for our fire department and the school district.
Received: November 6, 2018
Monica, you may not remember me, my name is Michael S., and I now work as the Director of Family Programs at the Cajon Valley Union School District. I first met you several years ago when I was an Assistant Principal in the district.
During my time as an AP, a student nearly drowned. A P.E. Coach and I gave him CPR, which revived him. I was so rattled and overwhelmed when the media started to arrive. Then like an angel, you took control of the media and created a safe place for the administration to support students and staff.
I never got the chance, but I just wanted to officially say, “thank you for helping our school during that challenging time.” I know you saved the day on other campuses when it came to the media, and again I wanted to say thank you for coming to the rescue when we needed you!! You are a rock in our community!! You live our district mission which is to make El Cajon the best place to live, work, play, and raise a family. Know that you are appreciated!
Sincerely,
Michael S.
Cajon Valley Union School District
Navy’s Third Fleet in Point Loma
Today, I again had the great honor of delivering my “Stay Alert-Stay Alive” safe driving talk to the Military, this time to the Navy’s Third Fleet in Point Loma. The Commander came up after my talk and in thanking me for speaking, said “it was the best driving safety stand-down talk he had ever seen in all his years in the military!” Wow-what a wonderful compliment – thank you! He then emailed a formal thank you below. Always a blessing & honor speaking to our Military heroes!
Monica,
I would like to tell you that the brief you gave today was the most compelling story to everyday drivers. The graphic nature of some of the events you showed clearly had a lasting impact on the audience and will influence their driving decisions in the future. Many thanks for supporting our staff for this Traffic Safety Stand-down.
Sincerely,
VADM John A.
Commander, THIRD Fleet
North Island N42C
I love speaking at Safety Stand-Downs, especially for our Military…I was very honored to receive the following request through MADD:
Subject: MADD SPEAKER REQUEST
Mrs. Walker,
I’m emailing you to request a guest speaker for our Command Safety Stand-down. At our last Stand-down training, our guest speaker was Monica Zech. Her presentation was OUTSTANDING!!! If possible, could we have her conduct the training with us again? I understand that there is a request form that needs to be completed and emailed to you. Our Safety Stand-down is tentatively scheduled for 28 June, is it possible to have her as a speaker? Please contact me if you need more information, and I will also need a request form.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter.
V/r
AO1 (AW) Octavis M. Jones
NMC CWD Det North Island N42C
Marines at Camp Pendleton
Following my presentation to Marines at Camp Pendleton
Dear Monica,
Today, Fri 18 Nov, you spoke at Camp Pendleton at the chapel to the MCTSSA Marines. I was there as a civilian marine having served in the past.
The only regret I had about today is not coming up to you personally to thank you for your courage and passion in sharing your heartfelt “testimony” with all of us! It was the most impacting safety message I have heard in years!!!
I can’t thank you enough for blessing me with what you shared today. Your message has been cemented in my mind, and I want you to know that you certainly made a lasting impact on me with what you shared today!
It will make me a more cautious and aware driver. I also plan to share what I learned from you with my three teenage kids.
I am so sorry for the loss of your father! My heart is heavy for what you and your family have to experience!
I will definitely keep you and your family in my prayers and pray that God will continue to use you in a mighty way as HE did today!!!
God bless you, Monica!!!
S. Wade
Department of Defense
Just wanted to Thank You! I was in attendance last week @NI(North Island), BEST Ever Safe Driving in my 40+ years in DoD and Ca Driver. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and may God Bless You.
C. Krolik
SDGE
Thank you for your wonderful presentation at today’s SDG&E EGIM’s Safety Standdown. I meant to pause for a moment with you at the end and just say a prayer for your upcoming surgery. And, may you wake up and be free from pain and any long-lasting symptoms from your injuries.” (Injuries from a stop sign runner causing a collision
I was sorry to hear of your father’s death, too, (killed by a DUI driver and understood completely how that must have happened because I was almost hit the same way not too long ago.
J. R. Mitchell
Business Analyst
SempraUtilities.com
Naval Medical Center
Good morning, Monica,
My name is B. Hart, I am a nurse at NMCSD. We met a
few months ago at a Safety Brief for a squadron at North Island. Your
presentation was so impactful, I’ve made it my mission since then to get your
contact information to the right people here at Naval Medical Center San
Diego. I believe every sailor would benefit from your safety presentation.
That said, someone will be reaching out to you before long to discuss future
opportunities. Stand by. Take care.
Very Respectfully,
Becky
B Hart, BSN, RN, PHN
Nurse Educator
Tobacco Cessation Program Manager
Health and Wellness Department
Directorate Public Health
Naval Medical Center, San Diego
United States Navy
Dear Monica,
I wanted to say Thank You for taking the time to meet with our command. It was wonderful meeting you and learning more about you and MADD. The message you conveyed will truly be remembered by all of us at CBMU303. MADD is such an excellent organization. The love and dedication its personnel display is inspiring. It was great to hear how many people have been impacted by the program and the lives it is saving. We appreciate everything you all stand for and do. Thanks again for taking time out of your busy days. I look forward to working with MADD again in the future.
Happy Fourth of July!
V/R
CM1(SCW/EXW) Roman, K.
Grossmont College Students
Good Morning Monica,
First, thank you for bringing safe driving to the attention of many people. I went to the “every 15 minutes” with my kids when they were getting their licenses, and the films bring me anxiety worrying about their safety. It surprised me yesterday when I saw a friend’s collision on the screen. I vividly remember that morning and we were all worried. It very well could be that she was texting, but that is also a very dangerous onramp due to the Alpine grade and slow big rigs. She was very lucky to survive and has fully recovered.
Thank you for participating in the OPT program. I appreciate people like yourself who take the time to make a difference. Your passion is very evident.
Kindly,
T. Gillette
OPT Student, Grossmont College
Grossmont College 2022
Hi Monica,
Thank you for your dynamic and impactful presentations to our class at Grossmont! You truly made a difference in my view of safety in traffic. You and I share some similar experiences with car accidents, whiplash, and long-term effects. Thank you again for bringing your safety message!
V. Ardoin
Energetic and Experienced Real Estate Administrator – San Diego County, California
United States
(Note: She mentioned presentations – I first spoke to them about Public Speaking, then on Driving Safety.)
