Injury Prevention Program

Overview

Each year, an estimated 4 million Florida children (1 out of 4), ages 14 and under, will experience injuries serious enough to require medical attention. Safe Kids Florida is part of Safe Kids Worldwide. The Florida Department of Health, Injury Prevention Program, is the lead organization for Safe Kids Florida. There are currently 10 local Safe Kids coalitions and 7 Safe Kids chapters located throughout Florida. Eighty-seven percent of Florida’s children ages 14 and under live in a county where Safe Kids operates.

How do we fulfill our mission?

• We promote awareness and education among child injury prevention advocates.
• We support public policies and programs that reduce injuries among children and youth.
• We provide safety education to children and youth in the major risk areas of traffic safety, water safety, fire safety, poisoning and falls prevention.

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Local Coalitions and Chapters

Local coalitions and state chapters provide leadership to their communities and work to reduce accidental childhood injury. They identify and target the most common injury problems in their local areas. Then, by combining resources of their diverse membership, they plan and put into operation strategies to address those problems by:

• Educating adults and children
• Creating safe environments
• Conducting research
• Advocating for effective laws

Coalition and chapter members reach out to their local communities with injury prevention messages, safety devices, and hands-on-training. Through grassroots efforts, Safe Kids programs reach families.

Safe Kids Coalitions and State Chapters Map

Safe Kids Florida is responsible for:

• Establishing chapters in areas not served by Safe Kids
• Providing support for the Safe Kids Florida’s chapters and local coalitions
• Seeking resources to support the Safe Kids Florida’s chapters and local coalitions

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity.  Instead, contact this program by phone or in writing.

For more information, please contact the local coalition or chapter in your area, the Safe Kids Florida Coordinator or call (850)245-4982.

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Safe Kids Advisory Board

The Advisory Board are individuals from various organizations who assist the Office of Injury Prevention in Safe Kids Florida strategic planning, plan implementation, safety messaging, and identifying chapter and coalition resources. The following members serve on the Safe Kids Florida Advisory Board:

• Curtis Cobb, Jr., Health and Safety Chair, Florida Parent-Teacher Association
• Captain Nancy Rasmussen, Chief of Public Affairs, Florida Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles
• Jane Hertan, Federal Express
• Brooks Rumenik, Office of Safe Schools, Florida Department of Education
• Michele M. King, BS, CCLS, Director, Child Advocacy Program, Children’s Hospital of SW Florida, and Safe Kids Lee/Collier
• Ralph M. Salvas, Occupant Protection Grant Manager, Bicycle/Pedestrian Grant Manager, Community Traffic Safety Team Liaison, Florida Department of Transportation
• Barbara Ray, Division of Childrens’ Medical Services, Florida Department of Health
• Gwendolyn B. Worlds, Manager of Consumer Assistance and Outreach, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
• Natasha Sugathapala, Marketing Director, Leopold Law
• Kelly Powell, Safe Kids Palm Beach
• Carlos A. Latour, Zone Manager, Zone 3111 Florida/Caribbean, General Motors Corporation
• Jean Shoemaker, Safe Kids Suncoast
• Alexis Kagiliery-Lee, (Ex-Officio Member), Safe Kids Worldwide, Buckle-Up Program Manager, East Coast Operations
• Mary B. Crew, (Safe Kids Florida Lead Agency), Safe Kids Florida Program Coordinator, Injury Prevention Program, Florida Department of Health
• Lisa VanderWerf-Hourigan, (Safe Kids Florida Lead Agency), Director, Injury Prevention Program, Florida Department of Health

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Safe Kids Worldwide

Safe Kids Worldwide is a national organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional injury, the leading killer of children 14 and under. More then 600 coalitions and chapters in 16 countries bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families. Safe Kids Worldwide supports research, development, and implementation of various preventative safety programs to meet the injury needs through the 16 member countries including the United States.

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Trends in Accidental Injury-Related Deaths in Children

Safe Kids was founded in 1987 by Children’s National Medical Center with support from Johnson & Johnson. Injury prevention efforts do work. Nationally from 1987 to 2004, the number of children ages 14 and under who died due to preventable injury declined. The statistics from Safe Kids show the decreases by the leading cause of death:

Florida Childhood Injury Facts

• Accidental injury is the leading cause of death and disability among Florida’s children ages 14 and under
• During 2006, approximately 300,000 children were treated in Florida hospital emergency departments
• Total emergency department charges to treat Florida’s injured children ages 14 and under was $300 million
• Approximately 6,700 of Florida’s children were taken to a hospital because of injuries
• Total hospital inpatient charges to treat Florida’s injuried children ages 14 and under was over $156 million

For additional data, please see the Data Page.

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