The Madison County FCS Agent worked collaboratively with Kentucky State Police as well as Richmond and Berea Fire departments to put together and present a program about self defense, awareness, and home safety specifically for ladies.  The program was presented on a weeknight, and consisted of 29 adult female participants, ranging in age from 18 and up.  The program was divided up into three sections, one led by Kentucky State Police, Trooper Scottie Pennington, who discussed public safety, self awareness, and basic self defense.  The next piece was presented by Richmond and Berea Fire departments, and they discussed strategies for best practice for home safety and fire prevention awareness.  The last piece was presented by the FCS Agent, which involved introducing technology advancements that can be useful to secure their surroundings and homes.  Technology encompassed a wide variety of options such as surveillance cameras, cell phone apps and tips, and the requirements necessary to make each of them run adequately.  

The ladies reported in their evaluations that the program was valuable and efficient in helping them understand ways to keep them from being a victim of attacks, essential self defense strategies, and up to date home safety strategies such as best practice for smoke alarms, camera usage and settings, new cell phone apps for themselves or family members, and even learning to sleep or keep bedroom doors shut in case of fire. 100% of the program participants noted that program was helpful to them and that they learned at least one new tip or trick to keep themselves safe from the program.  93% reported that they learned more than 2 useful tips or strategies they plan to implement in their daily lives to help keep themselves safe.  The program participants were sent home with pepper spray or personal alarm keychains, which they reported they were glad to have in case of emergency.