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Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health.

Washington State Injury Prevention Program

Office of Emergency Medical and Trauma Prevention
Trauma Prevention Program
PO BOX 47853
Olympia, WA  98504-7853
FAX: 360-236-2829

Contact:
Kathy J. Williams, MS
Trauma Prevention Specialist
360-236-2862 or 1-800-458-5281, ext. 8 (in Washington)
Email: kathy.williams@doh.wa.gov

Program Responsibilities:

• Technical assistance and consultation on injury issues, coalition building, the role of EMS/Trauma in prevention, injury legislation and other issues.
• Represents the Office on a variety of agency, state and regional committees (DOH Family Violence Workgroup and Injury Prevention Workgroup, Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s Impaired Driver Advisory Committee).
• Training/speaker on injury topics.
• Injury Data - Fatal & non-fatal hospitalization for Washington State, each county and EMS/Trauma Region.

Program information and Resources available from:

http://www.seattlechildrens.org/dp/

Materials developed by: EMSC Washington State Drowning Prevention Project: Washington State Department of Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System, Olympia, WA; and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Seattle, WA.

Childhood Drowning Prevention

• Stay on Top of The Water:  A water safety decision making guide for young people.  A five part guide designed for middle school children
  
• Life Vest Fashion Show:  Provides "how-tos" on having a life vest fashion show
  
• Information Packet: 1998 Washington State Legislation Requiring Children to Wear Lifejackets in Boats.

Packet includes proposed lifejacket legislation from the Washington State legislature, a sample letter advocating the legislation, a list of states with child lifejacket-wearing requirements, the case for lifejacket legislation, and sample news clippings on drowning and near-drowning.

•  Summary of Adolescent Focus Groups on Drowning Prevention

A report summarizing the results of eight focus groups conducted to assess attitudes, beliefs, and motivating factors influencing teens’ behavior around water. The results were used to help in the development of a water safety media campaign targeting teens.

•  Media packet on adolescent drowning

A collaborative project that utilized the results of teen focus groups to develop a radio, television and print drowning prevention media campaign targeting teens. Media kit includes a news release about teen drowning, story ideas, testimonials from victims’ families and friends, tips to prevention drowning, and a drowning prevention fact sheet

• April Pool’s Day Water Safety Special Event Packet

• Summary of parent focus groups on water safety events

A report summarizing the results of three focus groups that were conducted in order to determine factors that influence a parent’s decision to attend a children’s safety event. The focus groups were also conducted to obtain feedback from parents concerning the flyer used to promote April Pool’s Day.

• April Pool’s Day Planning and Promotional Materials

Sample flyer, activity suggestions, and news release. based on focus group and evaluation feedback.

•  La Salavidasd Water Safety Fotonovela

A fotonovela is a print piece using photographs and dialogue to depict a story. The purpose of this English/Spanish water safety fotonovela is to educate Hispanic/Latino families about water and boating safety, and about the consequences of unsafe activities around the water.
Multiple copies are available from Novela Health Education, 1-800-677-4799.   Additional information may be viewed at www.radiokdna.org

•  Life Vest/Water Safety Signage

English and Spanish language signs developed to raise awareness about water safety and drowning prevention. Signs have been posted at public campgrounds, boat ramps, marinas, and other public water-access sites across Washington state. Sample sign copy and layout available: 12"x18" English sign; 18"x24" English sign; 24"x18" bilingual sign.

•  Water Safety Display Ideas

A two-page guide with tips for setting up drowning prevention displays at health and safety fairs, including activities, entertainment, promotions, etc.

•  River Safety in the Northwest

Sample brochure in English, Spanish and Russian.

•  Drowning Prevention Community Assessment

Sample assessment and results from the Washington State Drowning prevention Project.

• Life Vest Observation Training Kit

Information on how to conduct observations of life vest use among children and adults in small boats. Can be used as pre-post intervention survey.

•  Kids Don’t Float: A Community Guide for Childhood Drowning Prevention

A comprehensive, step by step community guide to developing a drowning prevention.

•  Stay On Top Of It Drowning Prevention Fact Sheets

Samples of five fact sheets developed by Children’s Hospital and Medical Center as part of its social marketing campaign. Includes contact information if interested in reproducible masters or other campaign elements.

The materials listed above are available from:

http://www.seattlechildrens.org/dp/

Other Injury Prevention Materials: (only available from the Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System. There is no charge for these materials):

Bicycle Safety:

•  Saved by the (Bicycle) Helmet Club (SBHC) Applications

This no charge "club" is open to anyone who, because they were wearing a helmet, escaped death or disabling injury during a bicycle crash. It can be a crash with a motor vehicle, an object, or a fall over. You will receive a letter of congratulations, a membership certificate suitable for framing, and a SBHC pin, T-shirt and water bottle. Begun in 1993, the club now have over 420 members.

•  Saved by the Helmet Club Survivor Stories.

A sampling of SBHC member stories that document how bicycle crashes can happen to anyone, at anytime, in any place, for many causes.

Other Materials:

Online Materials:

Hardcopy Materials:  (Must be requested from the Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System)

• Crib safety materials.

• Equestrian safety

The state Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System contracts with eight EMS/trauma regions in the state to implement a variety of initiatives, including prevention. The Office is committed to building local/regional capacity in prevention. Each region has at least one part-time prevention coordinator and all have an Injury Prevention/Public Education Committee (IPPE) which helps direct their decision making and workplan development. Regional IPPE contacts contact are listed below, along with the programs and materials available from each region.

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Regional EMS/Trauma Injury Prevention/
Public Education Coordinators

Each of the eight EMS/Trauma regions has one part-time Injury Prevention/Public Education Coordinator who is either employed by the region or contracts with the region to coordinate regional injury prevention work. They and their main injury prevention programs are below:

Central Region (King County)

Merilli Owens, Regional Administrator/Prevention Contact
PO BOX 99470
Seattle, WA  98139-0470
Phone: 206-216-4566   FAX: 206-216-4530
Email: merrili@comcast.net
Website:  www.centralregionems.com

• Falls prevention among older adults
• Support for Anna’s Safe Ride Home to decrease impaired driving
• Injury prevention mini grants to local organizations
• Participation in community health and safety events

East Region (Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Whitman Counties)

AJ Hutsell, Prevention Coordinator
Spokane Regional Health District
1101 W College Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201-2095
Phone: 509-324-1596  FAX: 509-324-1599
E-mail: ahutsell@spokanecounty.org 
Web site:  www.eastregion-ems.org

• Seniors on the Go Fall Prevention
• Sober Roadways for Washington and mock DUI crashes
• Reach Out With Hope Suicide Awareness and Prevention
• Head Smart bicycle and skating safety and helmets
• Lending library of injury prevention educational materials, videotapes, and handouts
• Participation in community health and safety events
   

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North Region (Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom Counties)

Amanda Bourgeois, Injury Prevention Coordinator
North Region EMS & Trauma Care Council
325 Pine, Room D
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Phone: 360/428-0404 FAX: 360-336-9236
e-mail: amanda@northregionems.com
Web site:  www.northregionems.com

• Injury Prevention mini-grants to local organizations
• Annual injury prevention symposium
• Injury prevention resource closet of materials and resources for loan
• Regional Injury Prevention Committee
• Participation in community health and safety events
   

North Central Region (Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan Counties)

Linette Gahringer, Injury Prevention Coordinator
North Central Region EMS & Trauma Council
135 South Worthen St Suite 300
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Phone: 509-664-4032 FAX: 509-664-0112
e-mail: lgahringer@northcentralems.net
Web site:  www.northcentralems.net

• Traffic safety emphasis in Okanogan County: speed, impaired driving, and occupant protection (seat belts and car seats)
• Senior falls prevention in partnership with Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP)
• Community coalition for seniors falls prevention
• Drowning  prevention
• Safe Kids Partner
• Participation in Community Health and Safety events

 

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Northwest Region (Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason Counties)

April Borbon, Prevention Coordinator
Northwest Region EMS and Trauma Council
PO Box 5179
Bremerton, WA 98312-0489
Phone: 360-479-5631 FAX: 360-479-5772
e-mail: aprilborbon@yahoo.com
Web site:  www.nwrems.org

• DUI Victim Panels for adults, military, teens and Spanish language
• Bicycle safety, helmet distribution and fitting
• Falls Prevention information
• Safe Kids partner
• Suicide awareness and prevention
• Provide child safety seats to needy families
• Participation in community health and safety events

South Central Region (Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Kittitas, Walla Walla & Yakima Counties)

Nina Conn, Chair - Ijury Prevention Committee
PO Box 1726
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone and Fax: 509-5291375   Personal Cell: 509-520-2146
e-mail:  tnconn@charter.net
Web site:  www.scregems.com

• Contracts with four SAFE KIDS coalitions for injury prevention work
• Child passenger safety and other traffic emphasis
• Drowning prevention
• Falls Prevention for seniors
• Child Poisoning prevention
• Bicycle safety, and helmet distribution and fitting
• “Wildfeet” child pedestrian retro-reflective stickers
• Regional Injury Prevention Committee
• Participation in community health and safety events

 

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Southwest Region (Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, S. Pacific, Wahkiakum Counties)

Missy Barnett, Injury Prevention Coordinator
212 NE 83rd Street
PO Box 65158
Vancouver, WA 98665
Phone: (360) 576-8197 FAX: 360-576-8485
Toll Free: (800) 464-1883 (in region)
E-mail: swems@comcast.net
Web site: www.swems.org

• Support for Trauma Nurses Talk Tough
• Support for SWAY (Southwest Advocates for Youth)
• Distribution of injury prevention funds through local EMS & Trauma Care Councils
• Regional Injury Prevention Committee
• Participation in community health and safety events

West Region (Grays Harbor, Lewis, N. Pacific, Pierce, Thurston Counties)

Marty Faulk, Prevention Coordinator
West Region EMS & Trauma Council
2646 RW Johnson Blvd SW
Tumwater, WA 98512
Phone: 360-705-9019, 1-800-546-5416
FAX: 360-705-2796
E-mail: mfaulk@wrems.com
Web site: www.wrems.com

• Injury Prevention workshop every February in conjunctions with Regional EMS conference
• Injury Prevention mini grants to local organizations for prevention of senior falls, drowning, suicide, and moor vehicle crash deaths
• Regional Injury Prevention Committee
• SAFE KIDS partner
• Bicycle Safety and helmet distribution and fitting
• Participation in community health and safety events

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Office of Emergency Medical and Trauma Prevention
Trauma Prevention Program
Contact:  Kathy J. Williams, MS
Trauma Prevention Specialist
PO BOX 47853
Olympia, WA  98504-7853
FAX: 360-236-2829
360-236-2862 or 1-800-458-5281, ext. 8 (in Washington)
Email: kathy.williams@doh.wa.gov

 

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