CONTACT THE RUMPKE SAFETY DEPARTMENT

An Introduction to Slow Down To Get Around
A History of Slow Down To Get Around
A Letter from Rumpke's Director of Safety
Promotional Materials

Stop Drop and Roll. The fire department adopted that simple slogan more than 20 years ago. And even today people remember to stop drop and roll if they catch on fire. Stop, Drop and Roll taught us that slogans raise awareness. After three accidents involving Rumpke drivers, Rumpke's Director of Safety, Larry Stone decided to create an awareness slogan of his own, Slow Down To Get Around.
 
In the final days of 2003 and the earliest days of 2004, one Rumpke driver was seriously injured, one driver was killed and another was nearly wounded when drivers hit their residential garbage trucks. Immediately, following each of the accidents, the media questioned Rumpke. They wanted to know what Rumpke was going to do to stop these accidents. Rumpke already was meeting or exceeding all Occupational Health and Safety Standards. The company's employees were wearing the best safety equipment available and its trucks possessed extra reflective strips and lighting.

Rumpke's decision was to raise public awareness. The family-owned company needed to find a way to encourage the motoring public to slow down and use caution when driving around service vehicles on the road. Slow Down To Get Around slogan was the answer.

The Slow Down To Get Around campaign is designed to remind the motoring public to exercise caution while navigating around service vehicles in the roadway. The national campaign includes 30-second and 15-second, television and radio commercials featuring a driver who is involved in accident in which she injures a waste collection driver. The commercials may begin airing early this summer.

Rumpke continues to cooperate with other waste haulers, municipalities and organizations to distribute "Slow Down To Get Around" media kits with a customized commercial that can be edited to include each waste hauler or organization's logo. Participating sponsors will purchase advertising schedules throughout their service regions.

The campaign's major sponsor is McNeilus, a division of Oshkosh Corporation. McNeilus manufactures waste collection vehicles. The corporation kicked off a national "Slow Down To Get Around" campaign May 18 at the National Solid Wastes Management Association's Waste Expo in Dallas. McNeilus promoted the campaign via public relations efforts and paid advertisements during the Expo and continues to promote it today.

Daily more community leaders, other waste haulers and even other service companies are slowing down to notice the impact of the Slow Down To Get Around campaign. You are going to see the Slow Down To Get Around logo on safety uniforms and on service trucks. You will hear the message on the radio and see a grim reminder on television. We hope that Slow Down To Get Around will be another Stop Drop and Roll.

Choose from the following links below for more information.

An Introduction to Slow Down To Get Around
A History of Slow Down To Get Around
A Letter from Rumpke's Director of Safety
Promotional Materials