ResponderSafety.com Podcast

The Emergency Responder Safety Institute presents the ResponderSafety.com podcast, a closer look at hot topics, new information, innovative approaches, and case studies in responder safety at roadway incidents and in traffic incident management. Listen for practical, actionable information you can implement today at your next roadway incident response to improve safety of emergency response personnel and the public, no matter which agency you work for. Come learn from interviews and special features with experts and leaders in emergency services. All agencies who respond to roadway incidents — fire, EMS, fire police, law enforcement, DOT, safety service patrols, special traffic units, medevac, and towing and recovery — are all welcome and will find value in what we discuss.

Rod Ammon: Welcome to the ResponderSafety.com Podcast, brought to you by the Emergency Responder Safety Institute, a committee of the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firefighters Association. To remain mindful of why we do this work, we start every podcast with an update of emergency responders struck by fatalities. Since January 1st, 2025, 19, emergency responders have been struck and killed while assisting the public on the roadway. We have information on the loss of these responders and a memorial tribute available at ResponderSafety.com/FatalityReports. Our thoughts are with their families and colleagues. Please visit ResponderSafety.com for more than 150 resources and training that will help you operate more safely at roadway incidents and educate the public about how to safely avoid or pass an emergency scene on the roadway. If you are aware of an incident where an emergency responder or emergency response vehicle was struck while working a roadway incident scene, please report it at ReportStruckBy.com. Your reports provide crucial data that will help us identify why struck by incidents occur and design new training and resources to mitigate those contributing factors. You remain anonymous. Christy King's son, Christopher, was killed in a car crash on July 4th, 2020 shortly after he graduated from high school. He was in a convertible with friends and did not fasten his seatbelt. The driver was under the influence and driving recklessly and distracted. The driver lost control of the vehicle. It went off the road, and Christopher was thrown out and killed. The other occupants were wearing seatbelts and survived. Christy founded the nonprofit, Christopher King Foundation, to transform sorrow into advocacy by championing safe driving practices and the critical importance of buckling your seatbelt. Virginia has the lowest seatbelt usage rate of any state of the nation at just 73.2%. The Christopher King Foundation is working to change that through legislation and public education. One of their major initiatives came to fruition on July 1st, 2025. Christy is here to talk with us about the foundation's work. Welcome, Christy. We're sorry for the loss of Christopher, but we thank you for your candor in talking about it.

Christy King: Thank you so much for having me.

Rod Ammon: Let's start out, why don't you tell us about Christopher and what he was like.

Christy King: Christopher was my baby boy. He had this beautiful, blonde, crazy, frizzy, curly hair that when he was little, everywhere we went, women wanted to touch his head, "Your hair is so beautiful." He was just a little character, full of life and joy and laughter. He and my dad were two peas in a pod, and they just did so much together. And Christopher loved his friends. He loved hanging out with them. He would do anything for them, and loved animals.

Rod Ammon: So as much as you're comfortable with, why don't you tell us about the day Christopher was killed?

Christy King: It definitely was the worst day of our lives, getting that knock in the middle of the night that you never want, any parent, anyone to have to go through. When we saw the chaplain and the police officer, we knew something was horribly wrong. And they told us about him, and when he said that Christopher didn't have a seatbelt on, we were shocked, because he always wore a seatbelt. Every time, in the front seat, he would get on my husband. But it was that one time that he didn't that took his life. So that was devastating. It's still hard to think about that night, how awful that was, but that's why I do what I do, to try to prevent any parent from having to lose their child like that.

Rod Ammon: Yeah, I can't imagine how brutal that would be. So it almost sounds silly now when I ask this question, but how did you decide that you wanted to start a foundation and focus on seatbelt use and safe driving?

Christy King: Actually, right off the bat, I wanted to help with teen driving, making better choices, and I was connected through the investigating officer of the crash actually to Drive Safe Hampton Roads, to connect with them, to donate or whatever to help with their Get It Together Seatbelt Program. So I was excited about doing that. I got involved with that right away. And the first fundraiser I did was Christopher's first birthday. Of course, holidays, anniversaries, birthdays are really hard after you lose someone. So we did a fundraiser and gave the proceeds to Drive Safe Hampton Roads. And then July 4th was coming up of the first anniversary of his death, and I wanted to do something bigger. So Kathy Raymond from Drive Safe helped to me think of an event. So we started with Cars for Chris, a car show and community awareness event for safe driving. So right from the beginning, we had the police, fire department, classic cars to raise money for Drive Safe Hampton Roads. And eventually, they pushed me to become my own foundation. So I just had so many great mentors along the way. I was connected with Drive Smart Virginia, Kristen Petway. They all have helped me through the process of grief and through being a victim advocate.

Rod Ammon: Well, I guess first of all, I'm really glad you had that kind of support around you. I think that must've been incredibly important. And I think it's also quite a compliment that the people around you suggested that you start your own foundation. I know that people do that, but they must've been impressed with the work that you were doing. Kudos for that work. You've had a recent win.

Christy King: Yes.

Rod Ammon: And we were supposed to talk last year when you were doing a lot of this work, and right before, I checked in back with you today, I went and just ran a search and well, tell me what I found.

Christy King: You found the Christopher King's Seatbelt Law took effect July 1st, 2025. So rewarding, so amazing, that now every adult has to wear their seatbelt in every seat of the vehicle. As you said earlier, Christopher, it's that one time he jumped in the back seat of a convertible and didn't buckle up that took his life. And people just don't think that the back seat is as important. So another reason I pushed to get the back seats added to our current law. So I started it a year ago when we talked, when we spoke together, and I just started reaching out to legislators. I met the governor when I found out that Virginia was the lowest in the country for two years in a row, and he agreed, we needed to strengthen our seatbelt law. And then I started working with... I spoke to over 35 senators, delegates trying to gather support, bipartisan support was the goal, and Delegate Keys-Gamara decided to sponsor the bill. And originally, I wanted to have it a primary law, but there was way too much pushback. So the Black Caucus was against any primary laws, any more interactions with police and minorities. And then, the Republican side said, "We don't want government to tell us what to do." So it was that crazy line, but we were able to condense that, and just add the back seat, which is a great start.

Rod Ammon: It sure is.

Christy King: Yeah, it will absolutely save lives.

Rod Ammon: You know what's interesting to me is, it surprised me that it wasn't a law. I don't know how it is in different states, but what I do like about it is just that change is going to raise the awareness for a lot of people. Did anything else change with the law?

Christy King: That was it. But I have been very excited to... I saw a lot of Virginia State police officers and the new colonel, and they all are thanking me for this new law, because they're actually able to... Of course, they're stopping people for something else, but they're able to give the people in the backseat a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt and identify other issues as well. And this is really where we're at. We really need to educate and let people know it's not okay to not wear your seatbelt, and it will save your life. So, I'm excited about that because I've been working with the police departments. We actually made cards, Kristen Petway and I, that say, "Love clicks, buckle up for your loved ones. It's the law." And I have Christopher's story on there. So we're handing those out to police departments and asking them to give them out when they give a ticket to say, "This is why. This is the story behind why you need to wear a seatbelt." I've been really excited about the progress we've made so far.

Rod Ammon: Beautiful. I got something related to distracted driving one time like that from an officer who pulled me over for something. I'm sure I was speeding or something. It wasn't too bad. I'm glad to know that. But I know that I got a warning, and then there was some information. It really... I don't know. I was appreciative, obviously not to get the ticket, but I also thought that kind of follow-up was nice. I got to tell you, I learned something just now. I didn't know that they could write you a ticket in the back seat. I always thought it went to the driver. I love that.

Christy King: Yes, you're right. That's a great point. Now the individuals get tickets if they're... Of course, we're talking 18 and up, the adult seatbelt law. It's great.

Rod Ammon: It is great.

Christy King: And for Uber and Lyft drivers, it's great for them, because it's not on them anymore. So if the people don't wear their seatbelts, they're going to get the ticket, not the Uber driver if they won't listen to the driver.

Rod Ammon: Good. Well, some things are happening, going in the right direction. That's great. And again, thanks for your work there. So a lot of the folks that we have as an audience are not only first responders, but more and more, they're folks that are teaching driving. And I noticed that when you and Cathy spoke, you talked a little bit about younger kids and what you're doing. What are you seeing that works better when you're trying to teach safe driving practices to younger kids?

Christy King: Well, we go to high schools and middle schools, and now we have an elementary program. But I'll backtrack to the high school. So now in the car that night was Fred, he was in the front right seat, 6' 5". And the seatbelt saved his life. So now, he goes with me. He helped testify at the general assembly. And he speaks at the high schools. The kids love it. And also, Christopher's friend Alvin, who showed up right after Christopher was thrown from the car, and tried to perform CPR on Christopher. So having the three of us has just been amazing in the high school, middle school ages to speak to the kids, talk about what's safe and what's not safe. And we'll show some crashes from the IHS about how damaging a 38 mile per hour crash is. That's very eye-opening. And then, we just really get their attention and they usually come up and thank us and they'll share stories about somebody in their family. And then we ask them to take a bracelet in Christopher's memory and share his story to friends that you know don't buckle up, and it will save their lives. So that's been really exciting. We were just in the Back to School Nights. We actually hit nine schools in one week because we did three high schools, three middle schools, three elementary schools. We had a booth talking about seatbelt safety, general safety. Of course, at the high school, we spoke about what happened to Christopher, the middle school, a little bit. At the elementary school, even less and less the parent would ask because I had a banner about him to get them to wear their seatbelts. But I partnered with Kristen Petway from Drive Smart Virginia, and we created this new program called Junior SpeedBusters, and this is our debut. We're getting it out into the schools this fall. We have about 20 kits ready to go. It's free. We just need the teachers in schools to sign up on the Drive Smart Virginia website. And it's great, because the kids go out front where the school zone is with the flashing lights, and have a radar gun with the police officers is how we've done it here. It's not always mandatory. And they're checking the speeds. And then, of course, it's so cool. They can't believe they get to hold a radar gun. And the other kid will write the speeds down, and then they'll switch around, they get turns. And then the next week, they'll put up signs in front of the school about slowing down, buckle up, safe driving messages. And then, we check it again a week later. And they saw, the first pilot saw the improvement in speeds, that they were reduced. And it's just exciting for them to take ownership of that. And we get to have those conversations with the kids about... They'll bust out their grandma, grandpa, "They don't wear a seatbelt." And I say, "It's okay to have that conversation with them and say, 'Hey, I want you in this world. Please buckle up.'" So, it's just great. And the kids are wondering why people are speeding. And so, it's just an amazing program. And you know, Rod, that we have to start earlier because so many people are just ingrained in the habit of speeding or not wearing their seatbelt. So, we're going to get them young.

Rod Ammon: Well, I'm glad to hear that. I love the SpeedBuster idea. I think it's great. And as you said, it's creating conversation. And boy, in person, with some data to share.

Christy King: Yes.

Rod Ammon: And then the generational piece where you're talking about talking to parents or grandparents, all sounds like great work. It seems like also you've built a network of some of these people that are advocates and support each other, which is phenomenal. Anything that you'd like to share with other folks who want to do something similar?

Christy King: Sure, absolutely. You can do it. You can make a difference. I just felt like there wasn't a choice. And you can do what you set your mind to. With the seatbelt law, I'm just one person. I've seen other advocates pass laws and I was just like, "Well, hey, I can do this." So I started that. And I visualized, you have to be positive. Because it was a very frustrating process with the legislators. But when I met the governor and I sat back down, I said, "I am not going to stop until I am standing beside him and he signs my bill." So I visualized it. I knew it was going to happen. I went after it. A mom on a mission, I wasn't going to stop. So you can do it, absolutely.

Rod Ammon: Love your spirit.

Christy King: Thank you.

Rod Ammon: So what do you want people to take away when we go away today?

Christy King: First responders, thank you so much for what you do. We always talk about you when we meet, go to the high schools and we talk about the Move Over Law. We do little demonstrations that the kids love. We're trying to bring that awareness up. And any schools, if you have a connection in elementary school, please go into the Drive Smart Virginia website, and you'll see the tab for JuniorSpeedBusters.com and just have someone sign up and try that program in their elementary school. We just need a teacher to sign up for that. And we'll keep increasing that budget and increasing kits so we can get it to so many schools.

Rod Ammon: Thanks, Christy. Really, really appreciate your time today. And like I said, I love your spirit. I could just feel the passion coming through, and I know that that had to have a lot to do with making the things come true that you wanted to do in Christopher's name. So, congratulations for that.

Christy King: Thank you, Rod. Thank you so much.

Rod Ammon: Thank you. Now for the news from ResponderSafety.com. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute has teaching materials for driving instructors to teach safe driving practices that protect the motoring public and responders working emergency scenes on the roadway. Topics covered include Slow Down, Move Over, Move It, How to Safely Pass an Emergency Scene, and How Struck by Incidents Kill and Injure Emergency Responders. The materials include a video to equip driving instructors with facts and best practices to teach, a video for students and parents to hear from emergency responders affected by struck by incidents, and learn key safe driving practices, supplemental teaching points for classroom instruction, and a template PowerPoint presentation. All materials are available for free at DriverEducators.org. The Responder Safety Learning Network module on NFPA's 1500's Traffic Incident Management chapter has been updated and renamed to reflect the change in that standard's content and numbering. The new Traffic Incident Management requirements in NFPA's 1550 is now available. If you passed the previous version, the entry will remain on your transcript and you'll be able to download your past certificate, but we encourage you to take the new version to update your knowledge as the module content has been significantly revised. A link to Traffic Incident Management Requirements in NFPA 1550 is in the links section of this episode's page on RSLN.org. Finally, just a quick reminder to connect with us on social media for timely updates on news and emergency response and ResponderSafety.com activities. Like and follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/RoadwaySafety, on Instagram at Instagram.com/ResponderSafety, and on X at X.com/Responder Safety. If you know of an incident where an emergency vehicle or a responder was struck while operating at a roadway incident, please report it at ReportStruckBy.com. We're collecting these reports to better understand how struck by incidents occur so we can determine what training, public education, and safety messaging is needed to reduce struck by incidents. Anyone can file a report. You can report anonymously. Reports from all response groups are accepted, and this program has been supported by the Federal Highway Administration. This podcast, ResponderSafety.com and the Responder Safety Learning Network are made possible by funding from the Fire Prevention and Safety Grant from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program administered by FEMA and the U.S. Of Homeland Security. We appreciate your support and remember to share these podcasts with your colleagues to spread the word about safety practices at roadway incident scenes. Thanks for joining us today on the podcast. Stay safe, everybody. We'll see you next time. For ResponderSafety.com, I'm Rod Ammon.

2025
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