Itasca, IL – The National Safety Council is to designate Emory University in Atlanta, GA, as a Safe Community through its Safe Communities America program. Emory University is the first in Georgia, the second academic institution and the 20th in the United States to be recognized as an international Safe Community.
“We have been very impressed with the safety alliances being developed at Emory University to protect students and residents. Emory is better positioned to prevent injuries and deaths through this collaborative approach,” said Donna Stein-Harris, senior director of Safe Communities America for the National Safety Council.
Dr. Debra Houry, the director of the Emory Center for Injury Control and associate professor of Emergency Medicine at Emory, initiated the process of applying for the designation with close support from the Georgia Department of Public Health as well as Emory University leadership. “The vast collaborative effort involved in Safe Communities Emory has been truly remarkable,” Houry explains. “The close ties Emory has with the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, as well as the great work already done within our community, paved the way for our initiative.”
Through the Safe Community designation process, a coalition – the Emory Safety Alliance, composed of 25 faculty, staff and student groups on campus as well as collaborators outside Emory – was formed to identify the current programs, data collection and gaps specifically dedicated to safety promotion and injury prevention on campus.
The application process was completed in March 2012 when site visitors from Safe Communities America and Canada visited Emory University for a two-day tour. They reviewed Emory University for injury prevention efforts, which included an interactive tour of the Emory safety departments and groups, featuring the Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) on a campus shooting exercise as well as a tour of neighboring Emory collaborative groups including the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
The international Safe Community designation is based on six criteria:
A cross-sectional partnership responsible for the promotion of community safety
Long-term sustainable programs for all genders, ages, environments and situations
Programs targeting high-risk groups and environments
Programs documenting the frequency and causes of injuries
Evaluation measures to assess programs and the effects of change
Ongoing participation in national and international Safe Communities networks
NSC is the International Certifying Center for the U.S. through the Safe Communities America program, guiding community stakeholders to reduce injuries and promote safety for the residents of their communities. NSC will present the Safe Community designation to Emory University on April 24.
For more information, please visit safecommunitiesamerica.org.
About the National Safety Council
Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council (nsc.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety and safety beyond the workplace.