Injury Prevention And Public Education

Goal

"Preventable/premature death and disability due to injury is reduced through targeted injury prevention activities and programs."

News and Upcoming Events

2012 - 2013 West Region EMS Prevention Mini-Grant Applications Are Now Being Accepted

Each year, mini grants are awarded to programs that focus on the leading causes of injury or death in the West Region: Senior Falls, Motor Vehicle Crashes, Suicide, Drowning, or Poisoning. To apply for the grant, complete the Grant application and return to the WREMS office by 3:00 pm, Friday, June 29, 2012. Grant selection criteria.

Water Safety

  • May is National Water Safety Month. Learn more
  • Big 5 life jacket coupons are now available.
  • April Pools Day is a FREE annual event for families. Families can visit a participating pool, learn about pool programs and water safety, and have fun. Event location and information.
  • Boating Safety information is available from the WA State Recreation and Conservation Office. Grant information is also available on the website.
  • Need a life jacket for your child? There are several programs throughout the state that will loan you a life jacket. Find a location
  • For more information on water safety visit the Drowning Prevention page of our website.

Child Passenger Safety Certification Course

A Child Passenger Safety Certification Course will be held May 2, 3 and 9, 10, 2012 at the DuPont Fire Station. Learn more.

Windows Falls

Warm weather and open windows are just around the corner. But before you open the windows to let the fresh air in, take a few precautions to prevent windows falls for children.

May is Trauma Awareness Month

The theme for this year is Decide to Drive ~ Arrive Alive. The campaign will focus on the growing problem of distracted driving. The National Trauma Awareness 2012 campaign materials are available on the American Trauma Society website and include fact sheets, pamphlets, videos, and games directed at educating the public on distracted drivers and persons or things that will distract the driver.

Traumatic Brain Injury Conference

The WA State 2012 Traumatic Brain Injury Conference will take place Thursday, May 3, and Friday, May 4, 2012, at the Marriott Hotel, Seattle-Tacoma airport. Flyer

Saving Lives and Protecting People from Injury and Violence

Prevention saves lives and reduces disability. Injuries are so common we often accept them as just a part of life. But injuries are not accidents. Injuries can be prevented and their consequences can be reduced. We know prevention works. The Injury and Violence Preventon fact sheet provides information on how the CDC is working to reduce death and disability.

FDCARES

FDCARES is a fire dept based injury prevention and community assistance program. FDCARES has been developed so that the fire dept may assist the citizens of their community with issues before it becomes an emergency.

Prevention Success Stories

Every day in Washington State, many people of all ages take action to reduce their risk of dying or being disabled. We often do not hear about the saves or success stories of our prevention efforts. These success stories are an inspiration to continue the work of injury prevention.

Protect the Ones You Love

Child Injuries are preventable. In an effort to raise parents' awareness about the leading causes of child injury in the US and how they can be prevented, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has launced the Protect the Ones You Love initiative.

Traumatic Brain Injury

  • "Heads Up to Clinicians: Addressing Concussion in Sports among Kids and Teens" is a free, online course, developed by CDC through support from the CDC Foundation and the National Football League, available to health care professionals. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics, and case studies and provides an overview of what you, as a health care professional, need to know about concussion among young athletes.
  • Learn about Concussion in Sports including prevention, how to recognize a concussion, and many great resources including videos, podcasts and other media.
  • A concussion is a brain injury that can occur in any sport. The good news is most of them heal within a short period of time, like any other sports-related injury. But what makes concussions unique is that they are invisible and it's hard to know exactly when an injured brain has completely healed. Learn the symptoms, how to respond and more at SportsConcussions.org.
  • The Brain Injury Association of Washington works to ensure every person affected by Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) benefits from resources that maximize the quality of life, and to increase public awareness, support and hope for those affected by brain injury.
  • Visit the CDC Heads Up - Brain Injury Awareness Facebook page.
  • The Heads Up to Schools Know Your Concussion ABCs website provides a flexible set of materials, developed for professionals working with grades K-12 to help identify and respond to concussions in an array of school settings.
  • The WA State Traumatic Brain Injury Council website has great information on TBI.
  • CDC’s research and programs work to prevent TBI and help people better recognize, respond, and recover if a TBI occurs. The website also provides information and resources on TBI and concussions.
  • The University of WA TBI Model System works to promote the health, well being, and recovery of persons with TBI by applying knowledge gained from cutting edge research into our clinical care of patients with TBI.
  • A new report has been released on non-fatal TBI related to sports and recreation activities in children and youth.
  • Additional resources are available on concussion in sports, including posters and a brief video featuring NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell.

WA State Dept of Health Injury and Violence Prevention Program

The WA State Dept of Health has resources and information on injury and violence prevention on their website. The DOH website also includes injury data tables.

West Region Injury Prevention & Public Education Committee

The next West Region Injury Prevention & Public Education Committee will be held May 17, 2012, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, at Lacey Fire 34. Map and Directions. Lunch is provided. October 19, 2011 meeting minutes. For meeting dates, download the Meeting Calendar. For information contact Chris Rock, Committee Chair at (360) 537-4146 or email chris.rock@goodsamhealth.org.