During a recent attempt to tow an illegally parked vehicle at a Houston apartment complex, Edward (who drives for Safety Vision client Redlight Wreckers) was confronted by the vehicle’s owner. A profanity-fueled exchange quickly escalated into violence when the vehicle owner pulled a gun and began shooting to kill.

Edward thought “I can’t fight a bullet,” lowered the tow-truck’s boom, dumped the offending vehicle, and beat a hasty retreat–narrowly escaping with his life. Two bullets pierced the wrecker’s cab, one stopped by a small metal plate in the driver’s seat. The fortuitous placement of that plate likely saved Edward’s life.

The incident was captured by the Safety Vision mobile surveillance system aboard the wrecker. While the shooter is still at large, the digital video recording may be used as court-admissible evidence once he is apprehended. We’d enjoy playing a hand in the prosecution of a cold-blooded felon who would take a life before paying a $70 towing fee! Shortly after the shooting, Redlight Wreckers owner Christopher Hoffmeister brought the truck by Safety Vision and reconstructed the crime for us. Sobering to see the bullet holes; clear to see why Edward considers himself blessed.

Meanwhile, Nefertiti–who has been in Houston only a fortnight–is making local news, herself! The Chronicle’s Ken Hoffman called her a smarty pants last Thursday; and “new media TV dude” Mike McGuff, who spoke with her over the weekend about the mainstream media’s use of social media, mused that Nefertiti may be a “big TV star” in the making. If you’re a fan (she had us at “Hi, I’m Nefertiti!”), check out the Flip video and Flickr photo set documenting KPRC’s visit to Safety Vision.

Lastly, we were charmed by the energetic and engaging Edward, whose parting comment was, “You should come out and see me at the comedy club sometime!” We’re glad the curtain didn’t fall on his act: This funny man has the last laugh.

A native Spanish speaker, Elsa has been a valued sidekick to Sammy Almaguer, our U.S. and International Account Executive. Together, Sammy and Elsa have served Safety Vision long and well as we’ve broadened our international footprint and brought lifesaving mobile surveillance solutions to foreign shores.

In the accompanying photo, Elsa poses with the governor of Veracruz at the XXVII Convencion Internacional de Mineria (International Mining Convention) in Mexico, October 2009. The governor stopped by our booth at the show and is shown wielding our SV-1500–a personal mobile DVR, still camera, and flashlight in one. At the show, Elsa and Sammy also demo’d our full suite of collision avoidance and onboard surveillance recording solutions. Our heavy duty camera, monitor, and mobile DVR systems are equipped to handle the environmental and operating rigors of mining and other heavy equipment industries, around the world.

Visit our Flickr photostream to see Elsa’s farewell “happy hour” at Houston HQ. We’ll miss that smiling face, but she’s only a phone call away! Elsa’s customers can still reach her through Safety Vision’s main line (713.896.6600) or toll-free number (800.880.8855). Meanwhile, we wish Elsa and our extended Safety Vision family & friends salud, suerte y fortuna.

• Pitching in, pitching out: We’re keen on green and do what we can to promote the paperless office. To that end, we had our first site-wide “shred day” early in the month. Employees were encouraged to collect unnecessary paperwork and other outdated materials (account executive Jeff Taylor displays dated labeling, above), which we then helped feed into the document destruction machinery aboard two Cintas haulage trucks. We had fun pitching in on this all hands effort, as is clear from the pictures!
• Trying to help in trying times: We reached out to targeted industry segments with specials aimed at stretching their dollar. Collision avoidance users were presented with a wish list from which they could pick the three cost-saving items that would most benefit their budgets. And schools considering the SV-4CSD onboard surveillance video system were offered a complimentary camera, after the purchase of the first. (Interested? Offers end 12.31.09!)
• Gathering of the clans: Our annual get-together gets us all on the same page. December is traditionally the month when all sales staff and installation technicians convene to discuss progress during the previous year and plans for the coming year. It makes for a full-house here at HQ, but it’s always good to put our heads together and share lessons learned.
• Giving back to the community: Here’s where the elf part kicks in! Safety Vision again participated in the Elves & More corporate bike-build, a charitable cause that benefits at-risk children. Safe transportation and children’s well-being are two of our drivers, so this is a fitting cause for us to embrace.
• Sharing our vision: We speak out as mobile video surveillance subject matter experts. As in years past, Mass Transit magazine approached us for our take on where the industry is headed. In the December 2009/January 2010 issue (pg 55), CTO Chris Fritz chimes in with his look-ahead on trends and technologies to come.
• Celebrating the season and the standouts: Safety Vision hosts a meal and toasts a winner. Every year since 2002, the company has recognized one employee as Visionary of the Year, selected from a pool of nominees proposed by their coworkers as going above and beyond. At yesterday’s holiday luncheon, Bruce announced Technical Support Manager Aaron Alvarado as VOY 2009. Aaron will be treated to a 3-day trip to beautiful Telluride, CO!  We all appreciate your hard work, Aaron: You make Safety Vision look good! Congrats…
• Saying adieu (but not goodbye): Vicki Hammett, our first human resources director, has retired and is being feted at a surprise farewell lunch, today. Vicki lent many years of service to the company and tendered much care to its employees, and she will be sorely missed. Wishing you all the best, Vicki. It’s hard to imagine a Safety Vision without you; but you set a gold standard for future comers … and we know you’ll be back to visit. Right?!

Whew, and that’s a wrap: I told you it was a busy December! Maybe now we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays with family and friends. We hope you’re able to do the same, and we wish you a safe, happy, and prosperous 2010.

So to give my personal chef his props, I thought it would be fun to share his unusual Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. Actually, the proper props go to the Junior League of Albuquerque and their Simply Simpatico cookbook, from whence the recipe sprang. I received the book (1990 printing) as a fitting going away gift from Junior Leaguer and Page One Bookstore & Newsstand owner Yvette Stout when my family left the Land of Enchantment for LaLa Land in 1991.

Since then, my husband Raoul has been fine tuning Simply Simpatico’s unique but ab fab turkey stuffing, to unanimously rave reviews. The stuffing incorporates chicken tamales and mild enchilada sauce for a distinctly New Mexican and non-traditional but immensely tasty dish. Raoul’s stained and dog-eared guidebook (pictured here) is now a family heirloom! The family photos in the picture capture not only our first Thanksgiving in our new home served on fine china and graced by a bearded Uncle Gabo but also the trial run of the tamale stuffing. And it was “a triumph, my dear: a triumph!” (as Bob Cratchit tenderly applauds his wife’s presentation of the Christmas goose in the fam fave George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol).

To join in the seasonal, salivating fun, a few Visionaries enter the ring with some of their “family favorite” Thanksgiving recipes. We have Jason weighing in with his wife Brandy’s “The Best Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie EV-arr!” You know it’s gotta be good: Brandy is a pastry chef at Houston’s own Strip House restaurant. Melissa lands a right hook with her mom’s “Mean Green Bean Casserole” (should we offer Mean Joe Green a nibble?!). And Jacki provides a knockout sweet potato dish.

Rounding out the recipes, I’ve supplied a few surprises like leftover turkey enchiladas and Mama Stamberg’s cranberry relish. If you’ve listened to NPR over the years, you’ve heard the recipe. But have you tried it? I did! Like the tamale turkey stuffing, this cranberry dish has some unexpected ingredients. And while the relish is delish, its hue is rather jarring amidst the typically muted Thanksgiving color palette. We’ll call it “bubblegum pink,” which you might find a bit more appetizing than “Pepto Bismol pink.” Try it. You’ll like it.

Happy Thanksgiving, all: We have so much to be thankful for–including you! Wishing you the warmest good cheer…

Rig operator Jesse Oropeza stopped by for an adjustment to the collision avoidance camera system installed on this Peterbilt 379 Vulcan V70, one of two heavy duty wreckers in Priority’s six-truck fleet. Jesse enthused about the Safety Vision camera & monitor system, saying, “I’ve been driving wreckers for 18 years, and this back-up camera is the best safety tool I’ve seen. [Fleet owner] Joe Davis won’t put a truck on the road without one. These trucks are so big that, without the cameras, you’re asking for trouble.” According to Jesse, Priority is considering adding side-view cameras to its fleet to further improve driver visibility and enhance roadway safety.

Visit our flickr site for more great shots of Priority’s big rig. We’ve also posted albums featuring recent visits from other tow truck outfits: Houston’s Ideal Towing and Riverside Towing out of Baton Rouge. The latter company keeps busy towing illegally parked cars on and within a 5-mile radius of the LSU campus. (Geaux, Tigers!)

Both Ideal and Riverside are maximizing the benefits of mobile video. In addition to collision avoidance camera & monitor systems that help operators avoid accidents in real time, they’ve incorporated onboard video recording solutions to enhance fleet security. These solutions feature mobile DVRs that capture a video and audio record of each towing; and the recordings can be used to refute claims of damage to towed vehicles or to reconstruct the sequence of events, after the fact.

Amy Seals, who runs Riverside Towing with her husband Tim, tells us, “We record all our trips. We used to have people tell us, ‘You did this to my car’ or ‘You did that to my car.’ Now we have the entire drive recorded, from the hook-up to the lot.” So when the vehicle owners learn that the trips are recorded–start to finish–they’re less likely to lodge false complaints. For larger fleets with several rig operators, recording systems may also improve driver accountability.

Amy says Riverside first “ran into” Safety Vision at a tow show, where Safety Vision’s personal flashlight DVR caught their eye as a uniquely mobile safety tool capable of both illuminating and recording scenes in dim light; this versatile tool also takes still photos. Today, Riverside is enjoying a fleshed-out mobile video system that includes one forward-facing interior camera, an in-cab monitor, four exterior cameras (two side-view, two rear-view), and a mobile DVR. Now all they need is a FLIR PathFindIR infrared camera for enhanced visibility in even the darkest environments.

And speaking of tow shows: We’re fresh off the 21st annual American Towman Expo, held this past weekend in Baltimore, MD. If you were there, perhaps you chatted with our Duane Rumski in booth #635. If not, please give Duane or any Safety Vision account executive a call to learn how our collision avoidance and onboard surveillance solutions can help your tow truck fleet enhance safety, reduce risk, and improve business results. We’ve got your back, when it comes to mobile video.

(*Psst: Want to see more tricked-out rides? Sign in to Fleet Owner magazine’s Web site for their 2009 Vehicle Graphics Awards. And for more truck talk, you also may link to two Fleet Owner blogs in our blogroll, at right: Trucks at Work and Trucking Straight Talk.)

• The tots enjoyed a moonwalk, hayride, obstacle course, pumpkin decorating, face painting, and fishing with the Junior Anglers in our pond, out back.
• The “big kids” enjoyed music, food, and fellowship–a welcome chance to relax and visit with their families and friends on a beautiful afternoon.

There was a little something for everyone: Said Safety Vision Intern Ellis Smith, “I was there for the fajitas and the four wheelers!” And as you can see, kids big and small discover that everything’s more fun when you’re wearing a balloon hat. View the fall festival photo album on our Flickr page and join in on the fun.

(*Stuart Ringwald, husband of Safety Visionary and Supply Chain Manager Doris Ringwald: That’s who!)

Fast forward to the digital era. These days, seems everybody and his brother (and his other brother!) has got a list. So we’ve decided to get in on the act. We’ll call it SafetyVision’s Top 10 Random Smattering List. The compilations range from season-appropriate listings to a few mobile video surveillance topics to lists capturing the online zeitgeist to clumps of pure random fun. Enjoy!

1. The Nine Grossest Kinds of Candy No Adult Should Give Out on Halloween
2. Five Last-Minute Halloween Costumes for Geeks and Nerds
3. 20 Scariest Movies of All Time
4. Top 40 Under Forty from Mass Transit (If it were Top 50 Under Fifty, Safety Vision founder Bruce Smith would be there!)
5. Top 15 Stupidest Products of All Time
6. Five Ways Google Wave Could Change the World
7. 15 Must-Follow Comedic Actors on Twitter
8. 8 Things I Learned from Delivering Pizza in High School
9. Top 10 Everything of 2008 from Time
10. And the final Top 10 list: What else but (are you with me here?) 10 Ways You Can Use Twitter  Lists!

Did we “make the list”? You betcha! On the heels of the much ballyhooed Twitter Lists debut last week, we found ourselves on our first list: @1virtualprof/onlinesafety.  If you’re not already, we encourage you to get on Twitter and follow us @SafetyVision. Just one more way for us to commune!

And recently, we were listed as one of only two “Tier 1″ providers in an independent Frost & Sullivan research report on the global mobile video surveillance market. In all humility and with sincere appreciation of our industry clients and colleagues, we think we’ve put in the time, effort, and know-how to deserve the ranking. It’s good to be at the head of the list!

Well, I think I’ve proved my point: Lists abound. Top 10? This blogpost easily could have turned into a smattering of 50! But we’ve got safety to purvey and you’ve got people to protect, so let’s be about our business.

Frankly, we were alarmed at the news story regarding two airline pilots who overshot their destination by 150 miles and were out of communication for 1.5 hours, allegedly (and against company policy) because they were diddling with laptops rather than deploying landing gear. So, what’s to keep pilot and co-pilot from whipping out their iPhones for a wicked round of dueling apps when they should be checking other instruments? Scary thought, for air travelers.

Transportation secretary Ray LaHood likewise takes a dim view of distracted navigators: “Any kind of distraction, whether it’s trains, planes or automobiles is a distraction and we should figure out ways to get these cell phones, the texting, … and the use of laptops out of the hands of people who are supposed to be delivering the public … somewhere safely.”

That’s not a lot for the public to expect. Don’t we deserve to be ferried about safely? Shouldn’t we rest assured that we’re in good hands and under watchful eyes? I’m not being facetious when I say, “Too bad the cockpit wasn’t equipped with a SafeDrive MiniDVR.” This new windshield-mounted mobile DVR is helping our clients in other mobile industries monitor and record what’s going on outside the windshield and inside the vehicle cabin.

Scary but true: Careless or distracted drivers are putting personnel, property, and the public in peril. But that’s where we come in. Our onboard cameras and mobile DVRs may deter unsafe driving en route; and when such behaviors are detected, fleet owners can work with their drivers to modify bad habits. Meanwhile, we encourage all drivers–professional and private–to “Pocket it ’til you park it!”

Drive safe; live safe!