Safe Communities America Now Independently Governed

Safe Communities America^®, formerly a program of the National Safety Council, recently became an independent organization self-governed by a board of directors. Board members represent individual Safe Communities, the National Accrediting Center and the Safe Communities Support Center. They serve without compensation and are committed to the growth and development of Safe Communities and injury prevention in the United States.

The Safe Communities America model engages local partners who care about safety, uses data to identify leading causes of injury, and makes a plan to address the issues using proven methods and measuring success.

Communities accredited prior to transition will remain in the Pan Pacific Safe Communities Network. Safe Communities America Inc. will remain connected to PPSCN and have continued representation on the PPSCN Board.

Why Pursue Safe Community Accreditation?

• An NSC study shows that after 10 years of rising injury rates in one community, the decision to seek Safe Community accreditation was followed by a two-year decline in injury hospitalizations; nearly 300 hospitalizations may have been prevented, saving the community more than $14 million in healthcare costs
• A long-standing smoke alarm installation program in one Safe Community has shown that fire deaths were reduced by 74%
• A comprehensive approach to reducing prescription drug overdoses in a Midwestern Safe Community has resulted in 4.5 tons of medications collected in drop boxes, hundreds of clinicians trained in effective pain management without opioids, a communitywide campaign on addiction and treatment, and training for first responders on naloxone use

Learn more about Safe Communities America, or contact board member Steve Sparrow at [email protected].