FHP assists Lt. Governor Toni Jennings and Director of the Florida Office
of Drug Control Jim McDonough during the 2005 Florida Statewide
Substance Abuse Prevention Conference in Orlando.

The 19th Annual Florida Statewide Prevention Conference was recently held in Orlando and the Florida Highway Patrol was there! Hosted by Florida’s First Lady Columba Bush and chaired by the Director of Florida's Office of Drug Control, James R. McDonough, FHP was on center stage during the general assembly recognized by the thousands in attendance as a supporting agency committed to making Florida a safer place.

FHP's Chief Public Affairs Officer Major Ernesto Duarte, along with PAO's Sgt. Jorge Delahoz, Trooper Larry Coggins, and Trooper Kim Miller conducted several informative workshops to educate teens, guidance counselors, and school staff about the serious dangers of drinking and driving. The PAO staff was instrumental in helping teens and educators think outside the box by sharing their knowledge and experience on different ways to prevent underage drinking and the importance of comprehending the horrors associated with traffic fatalities.

Trooper Wanda Diaz demonstrates the need
for wearing seatbelts using the rollover simulator.

One of the highlights of this year's conference was the FHP rollover simulator demonstration. Troop D's Occupant Protection Specialist Trooper Wanda Diaz used the rollover to allow the audience to see just what happens to occupants (dummies) in a vehicle when they are not buckled up. The picture is not a pretty one, especially when the dummies are partially ejected and get run over by the vehicle in the simulated rollover crash.