COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Safe Kids Erie, 2009
The Safe Kids Erie program is the premier program for awareness and education about preventable injuries and safety for children. Their injury prevention programs, fire safety programs, and child safety seat inspections are programs that parents in our community have grown to count on.The safety and security of children has been one of my top priorities as County Executive. The Safe Kids Program, under the leadership of Patty Puline, Safe Kids Coordinator, has successfully completed many objectives in 2008 and I'd like to share some of the highlights so you can hear about what Safe Kids has done for families in our community.
In 2008,
- over 545 car seats were checked, inspected, installed or loaned to Erie County residents
- 17,949 people attended Injury Prevention Programs
- 948 bike helmets were distributed
- 19 Ski helmets were distributed
- 3,258 smoke alarms were distributed
- 554 carbon monoxide monitors were distributed
- 23,411 health education resources were distributed
- 30 parades and health fairs were attended
- 87 Community Based Organizations meetings were held
Since promotion of the Safe Kids programs is something that Patty focuses on every year, she has established a wonderful rapport with the news media and they rely on her expertise when they need a reliable source to talk about child safety. In 2008, WSEE's Caring for Kids segments were focused on topics that Patty was interviewed about over 100 times. And with her media partners, WICU, WJET, WQLN and WSEE, topics on fire, water, poison, bike helmets, Halloween, toy safety, playground safety, car seats and traumatic brain injury were featured.
And I am confident that the lives of children were saved all across Erie County due to the information that was presented through Patty's efforts with the media.
But all of this important information could never reach communities far and wide across Erie County without funding. And in 2008, the Safe Kids program received funding from various sources enabling the program to spread information regarding child safety to many more people.
A few of the projects that received funding included:
$76,000 from a Federal fire prevention education grant for smoke alarms and the "Protect the Place You Call Home" project;
$17,000 from Senator Jane Earll for smoke alarms and the "Protect the Place You Call Home" project;
$10,000 from the Erie Community Foundation for smoke detectors;
$2500.00 from Children's Miracle Network for Cribs for Kids Campaign;
$8,000 from our WIC partnership for cribs, car seats, smoke alarms, Carbon Monoxide detectors; and
$1,000 from GE Community Service Employee fund for Safe Kids Day
2008 was also a year for new partnerships. Though all of our partners new or old are instrumental in creating successful prevention programs and well attended events, there are a few partners that I would like to specifically mention:
Safe Kids was able to establish a "Cribs for Kids" Campaign with Kristen Bruschi and Saint Vincent Health Center, along with Lisa Kaveny and the Children's Miracle Network; Because of the partnership with Jack Holland and the West 26th Street Dairy Queen, Safe Kids began a new bike helmet program; Our friend, Dr. Kristy Morgan in Girard, started a new Safe Kids Day in Girard and we also established new community partnerships with Dave Hallman Chevrolet and Rick Weaver Buick.
Speaking of our partners, over 43 partnering agencies and 112 adult volunteers collaborated for the Bike Derby in Harborcreek, which was the largest event in coalition history. On that day alone over 650 safety helmets were fitted properly and given to children.
Safe Kids also partnered with four new agencies for rural outreach and disparate populations for helmet and car seat safety. We are extremely proud of our connections with Booker T Washington, JFK Center, Sisters of Saint Joseph Neighborhood Network and WIC for inner city families.
Patty is always exploring ways that she can involve Safe Kids with community groups as well. In 2008, she conducted a new Cub Scout program in concert with Dave Hallman Chevrolet. It gave scouts an opportunity to earn an auto safety patch through Safe Kids Worldwide.
In the summer of 2008, Patty traveled to Washington D.C. to conduct a presentation on fire safety education at the Safe Kids Worldwide annual conference. While there, she attended ten safety training sessions and workshops along with chapters from around the world. At the conference Erie County's chapter was recognized for its outstanding partnership with the Erie Fire Department.
With ingenuity and creativeness like that, it is no wonder that Safe Kids has received the notoriety it has.
The program has not only grown, but flourished.
The groundwork has been done over the past several years. Known previously for safety, now Safe Kids is recognized for early prevention and education.
I would like to thank each of you in this room for giving your time, money or resources to help Safe Kids continue to be able to provide education, programs and awareness to the constituents of Erie County.
Children are our most valuable asset. They are our present...and our future. And when it comes to protecting our children, there is no more important priority than the health and well being of our future generations.
I ask you to please join with me in congratulating the Erie County Department of Health, the Erie County Safe Kids Program and Patty Puline on another successful year of safety.
Thank you.