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The vision of the Safe Community Wood Buffalo (SCWB) is to be safe and healthy in all we do, and our goal is to promote safe and healthy living 24/7.
SCWB is a community driven initiative, regional in focus. As part of promoting a safer and healthier community, the Network facilitates the application process for designation status, and promotes awareness of our region on a national and international level. We are proud to say we hold dual designation:
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In 1996, Fort McMurray received International Safe Community designation from the World Health Organization (WHO). At that time, ours was the 12th international safe community, the 1st safe community in North America to be awarded designation.
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In 2002, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo was awarded Canadian Safe Community designation through the Safe Communities Foundation. At that time the Network was one of only three communities in Canada to hold dual designation, International and National.
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In 2005, the Wood Buffalo Safe/ Healthy Community Network facilitated the application process for re-designation as an International Safe Community on behalf of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, a process that must be completed every ten years. On December 7, 2005, the re-designation ceremony took place during the Empowering Our Community event to celebrate the successes of the past 10 years and the renewed commitment as an International Safe Community to promote a safer and healthier community.
The information below outlines what it means to be a part of the Safe Community movement, both from the International and National perspective. As we strive toward making the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo safer and healthier, we are reminded of the guiding principals. The communities within our region are unique in many different ways and the challenges continue to change and grow, but through the support and solidarity of the World Health Organization and the Safe Communities Foundation, and of course the communities within our region we can truly achieve a safer and healthier community, making it the best place to live, learn, work and play.
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Injuries in Alberta are unacceptably high with Alberta having one of the highest rates in Canada. Four Albertans die everyday from injuries.
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Injuries are the leading cause of premature death and account for the majority of deaths of those aged 44 and under.
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Injury deaths and morbidity cost the health system, the economy and society billions of dollars annually. Unintentional injuries cost Albertans $1.8 billion in 1997.
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Motor vehicle casualty collisions: average number of road users killed and seriously injured: 2,969 (1999) Source: Transport Canada: Road Safety Vision 2010
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Lost Time Claim Rate: number of lost time claims per 100 person-years worked: 3.0 (2002) Source: Alberta Human Resources and Employment.
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More children die annually from injuries than from all other childhood diseases combined.
Data taken from Alberta Injury Control Strategy available at www.albertainjurycontrol.com/aics.html |
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Safe Communities have: pdf
- An infrastructure based on partnership and collaborations, governed by a cross- sectional group that is responsible for safety promotion in their community;
- Long-term, sustainable programs covering both genders and all ages, environments, and situations;
- Programs that target high-risk groups and environments, and programs that promote safety for vulnerable groups;
- Programs that document the frequency and causes of injuries;
- Evaluation measures to assess their programs, processes and the effects of change;
- Ongoing participation in national and international Safe Communities networks.
Stockholm May 2002 The following "6 Indicators" are replacing the "12 Criteria", which were developed 1989 by. Jerry Moller, Principle Consultant, Australia in collaboration with the participants from the “First Travelling Seminar on Safe Communities “ and representatives form the two municipalities Falköping and Lidköping, Sweden. |
Excerpt taken from the Safe Communities Foundation (Canada) Annual Report
Visit them online at www.safecommunities.ca
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To help people come together in the community to create a sense of awareness, understanding, support and leadership to implement effective local programs to eliminate injuries and suffering.
The Safe Communities Foundation (SCF) was launched on April 23, 1996 in response to a tragic workplace injury that took the life of 19 year-old Sean Kells, just three days after starting a job. Paul Kells, Sean's father, vowed that no other family would go through the same pain and suffering of losing a child so needlessly. Working with a concept developed by the World Health Organization, he created the Safe Communities Foundation.
The Safe Communities Foundation is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization that works in partnershipwith the private and public sectors to
improve the health and safety of workers and people of all ages throughout the community.
We believe that a safe community is a basic human right. The goal of the Foundation and all designated Safe Communities in the network is to eliminate injuries while promoting a culture of safety across the country. Safe Communities deliver and coordinate health and safety programs specifically targeted towards reducing injuries that are prevalent among all age groups in their communities.
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