Public Service Announcement: It’s No Picnic

SLOW DOWN: It’s No Picnic Out Here

In partnership with other stakeholders, the JPMF coordinated the production of a second PSA that addresses the issue of motorists speeding by emergency roadside scenes – and not giving emergency services personnel room to do their job safely.

This PSA uses fantastical picnic images – police officers, paramedics and a tow truck driver competing in a three-legged race, a firefighter playing croquet, a traffic cop flipping burgers on a barbeque, etc. – juxtaposed with a vehicle collision scene. The purpose of the message is to communicate to motorists the message to slow down when passing emergency services personnel working on the road…because it’s no picnic out there.

Unfortunately, prior to the completion of this PSA, in July 2005 another Alberta police officer was struck and killed by a semi while sitting in his parked vehicle on the highway; emergency lights activated. A second officer at the scene was injured. In April 2007, a Calgary police officer was struck and seriously injured while at a traffic stop on Deerfoot Trail.

Financial supporters of this PSA are: Work Safe Alberta (Alberta Human Resources and Employment), STARS Chain of Survival Fund, Calgary EMS , the Alberta Federation of Police Associations, the Calgary Police Association, and Dave and Nancy Chapman. The JPMF also received grant funding from the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research’s Community Injury Control Fund, as well as their Alberta Traffic Safety Fund.

The in-kind supporters of this project are the Calgary Police Service, Calgary Fire Department, Calgary EMS, the Alberta Motor Association and Cielo Pictures Inc.

The PSA was produced by Rick Castiglione of Cielo Pictures Inc. It was written and directed by Simon Dekker of dkr pictures Inc. Click here to see a slideshow of the filming of the PSA (June 2005).

The official launch party for the PSA took place in Calgary, Alberta on Oct 25th, 2005.

• The Picnic PSA has aired on Shaw TV across Western Canada over 40,000 times between Dec/05 and Aug/06!
• Feedback on the Picnic PSA from emergency services departments across North America has been outstanding.
• Emergency services departments, oil & gas companies, health and safety organizations, etc are purchasing both PSAs to use as an educational resource tool in their own communities.