PursuitSAFETY's Speakers' Bureau & Resources
Our public awareness campaign includes video and print public service announcements, PursuitSAFETY also provides the In Six Weeks' Time and Pursuit Safety 101 handouts.
PursuitSAFETY's speakers in alphabetical order Jonathan Farris, Candy Priano, and Kim Schlau share their stories with officers. They believe that by talking about the way in which their children died, their stories will save lives.
"We bring a powerful message to the world of law enforcement," Candy says. "Officers thank us."
Families Crusade to Save Lives of Innocent Victims & Police Officers
Jonathan Farris Tragedy in Massachusetts Jonathan Farris is a man of service and helps others by serving as PursuitSAFETY's board chairman. He built and maintains an informative website, paulfarris.org. It is a tribute to his son Paul, 23, an innocent victim of pursuit. It is a place to honor and remember Paul. A place where family and friends can see and listen to Paul and his music. A place to visit and reflect about the frailty of life. This pursuit occurred during the 2007 Memorial Day weekend. Paul, a 2006 graduate of Tufts University was killed after a sport utility vehicle being chased by State Police crashed into the taxi cab in which he and his girlfriend Katelyn Hoyt were passengers. Also killed was the cab driver, Walid Chahine, 45. Katelyn's injuries have improved. She will never fully recover from her injuries. Jon shares this story of two innocent victims dead and a wonderful young woman injured for life. Why? As any parent would do, Jon questions the necessity of a pursuit for a minor traffic violation that traveled down a crowded 25 mph posted street at over 75 mph. Jon has amazing insight about this public safety issue: "Pursuits, like the one that killed Paul and Walid and so seriously and permanently injured Kate, happen every single day - and someone else's son, daughter, mother, father, family of friend dies every single day. "Police pursuits, for the most part, are merely a passing newspaper story or television headline, forgotten by readers and viewers a few minutes later. But for the hundreds of relatives and thousands of friends of these innocent victims, the pain is real and never goes away. Never.” |
Candy Priano Tragedy in California Candy Priano's 10-year advocacy for safer vehicular police pursuits has always had one goal: to prevent the tragedy of pursuit from happening to another innocent bystander or police officer. Her daughter Kristie, 15, an innocent bystander, was killed in 2002 as the result of a vehicular police pursuit. The Priano family, including Kristie, were traveling to Kristie's high school basketball. At the same time, a mother called the police complaining that her daughter was driving the family car without permission. The chase began and ended in a residential neighborhood. Candy has presented "The Other Side of the Windshield" at law enforcement and government safety officer conferences. During all of her presentations, she says: "I am thankful that I chose this path because I have met such caring and professional men and women in law enforcement. They have helped me rebuild the trust in law enforcement that was lost." |
Kim Schlau Tragedy in Illinois Kim Schlau became involved with PursuitSAFETY in 2008, a year after the deaths of her two oldest girls, Jessica, 18, and Kelli Uhl, 13. An officer, responding to a call at 126 mph while using his cell phone, crashed into Jessica and Kelli’s car. The trooper was responding to a call already secured by other first responders. The sisters died instantly. This tragedy happened the day after Thanksgiving in 2007. In 2011, Kim began speaking at Lifeline Training's "Ultimate Survival Instincts" Training Courses. She also speaks to new police recruits and to career police officers. Kim spearheaded a measure in the Illinois legislature that the stretch of Interstate 64 in St. Clair County, IL, from Mascoutah IL to Highway 158 (the crash site) be renamed "The Jessica and Kelli Uhl Memorial Highway." She is doing this so people remember Jessica and Kelli and with the hope of encouraging drivers to slow down and drive without the distraction of speaking or texting on their cell phones.
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Pursuit Safety 101 flyer
This flyer is primarily targeted for young drivers.
You may print your own PursuitSAFETY 101 flyer by clicking on the image below. Order flyers and bookmarks by calling 530-343-9754 or sending an email, candy.priano@pursuitsafety.org.
Pursuit Safety 101 flyer: Click on image for print quality image of the PursuitSAFETY 101 flyer—front and back.
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These bookmarks are printed on an as-need basis. Please send us your order, and we will do our best to get them to you within two weeks.
