Region VIII Prevention/Safe Communities:

Click here to view the Region VIII Safe Communities Calendar

A Safe Community is defined as a community that promotes injury prevention activities to address local highway, traffic safety, and other problems. It uses a “Grassroots” approach involving citizens to address key injury problems. Components of CAP’s prevention programming include:

Seat Belt Safety

Educating adults and youth on the importance of seatbelt use. Proper way to wear a seat belt and which seating position is better for youth and adults. The coalition participates in seat belt checks, worksite safety belt programs, high school safety belt programs, and targeted programs by NHTSA and DOT during key months like Buckle Up America.

Child Restraint Safety

Teaches adults how to properly use a car safety seat, which seat works best in their vehicle and for their child, teaches parents how to use anchors and tethers and gives general information about seat belt systems, booster seats, and recall lists for child passenger seats. The Coalition participates in Child Passenger Safety Month activities in February and May and conducts many child passenger safety checks.

Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety

Schools, daycares, etc. contract with our office for information on Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety. The Safe Communities Coalition conducts an annual Safety Day in May. Bicycle helmets are distributed along with information on safe biking.

Safety City

Safety City is a two-week safety program for children ages 4-6. The program is held the first two weeks in June each year. The main focus of Safety City is bicycle safety were children learn the proper hand signals and signage. Speakers present information on safety issues including Fire Safety, Stranger Danger, Poison Safety and School Bus Safety to name a few. Children also learn their address and phone number as well as how and when to use 911.

Youth Alternative Activities

These activities are upon request by the communities. We support programs like the Family Fun Skate Night, Teen Center activities, SADD Chapter activities. Programs that offer alternative activities to keep kids busy and from using ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs.)

Red Ribbon Campaign

The Red Ribbon Celebration is an annual drug awareness event celebrating drug-free youth. Red Ribbon Week is dedicated to the memory of Enrique Camarena. (In 1996, nearly 80 million Americans celebrated Red Ribbon Week and join their school and communities in raising awareness about drug abuse. This included all 50 states and the US Territories).

Baby Think It Over

Baby Think It Over is a teen pregnancy and parenting education program using realistic infant simulators. The simulators allow adolescents and young adults to experience the demands of parenting in preparation for making informed choices about their futures. Options on the simulators allow instructors to adjust sleep times for normal, sick, or easy babies. Indicators on the computer tell instructors if the student has been neglected or abused.

Beverage Server Education

This educational componet assists bar or liquor store personnel in detecting or deterring underage purchase or consumption of alcohol, to assist personnel in complying with the law, to heighten the awareness of the use of fake or false ID use, to teach the proper procedure to deal with an underage drinker or underage person attempting to purchase, and detection of and intervention with intoxicated persons.

Alcohol Risk Reduction (Alcohol Compliance Checks)

This process includes law enforcement and a team of young people under the age of 21.  The youth attempt to purchase alcohol in an effort to see of local establishments have proper safe guards in place.  Current research shows that effective and regular compliance checks will help decrease alcohol sales to minors; help reduce underage drinking; help reduce traffic crashes, violence, and other health problems associated with alcohol; and help build healthier and safer communities.

Victim Impact Panel

The Victim Impact Panel provides a means whereby drunk drivers and potential drunk drivers (DUI, MIP, and MIC) hear what happens to the victim of drunken driving crashes. Panels of 2-4 victims speak briefly about the drunken driving crashes in which they were injured or a loved one was injured or killed and what this has meant to them, how it changed their lives.

Parent/Teen Resource Guide

This resource guide is an informational tool to assist you on resources available in Southwest North Dakota and beyond.  A copy of the guide can be viewed by clicking on the following link: Parent/Teen Resource Guide 

For additional information on Prevention/Safe Communities contact:

Phone: 701-227-0131
800-359-2243
Fax: 701-227-4750