|
|
 |
|
|
Name of the Community: Calgary, Alberta
Country: Canada
Number of inhabitants: 904,987 (2002)
Programme started year: 1999
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year: 2003
Info address on www for the Programme:
www.gov.calgary.ab.ca/community/safety
Info address on www for the institution: www.calgary.ca
Safer Calgary
Safer Calgary was formed in 1999 as an umbrella organization that coordinates safety
promotion and violence prevention initiatives within Calgary towards the reduction and
elimination of both intentional and unintentional injuries.
Safer Calgary provides a network for hundreds of organizations who represent a
cross-section of the local community networks and all parts of the social structure within
Calgary. Guided by a mission to "foster community action towards the creation of a
safer Calgary", this initiative streamlines its focus into three issue areas:
1. Injury Prevention
2. Violence Prevention and
3. Natural and built environment.
For the age group
Children 0-15 years:
Bicycle Safety Education Committee:
The Bicycle Safety Education Committee began in 1992 with an interested group of
individuals from the Head Injury Learning Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital and
included public health representatives. From that beginning, the committee has grown to
include representation from The City of Calgary, bike retailers and local cycling clubs.
Think… Think Again
Think, Think Again is an innovative, community-based effort to increase the proper and
consistent use of safety seats and belts for children. In an effort to address this
problem, Alberta Health, Alberta Motor Association, Alberta Transportation & Utilities, five Regional Health Authorities, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and SAFE
KIDS have developed a three pronged approach. The first of its kind in Canada, the program
combines awareness, enforcement, and education.
In addition, Calgary has the following programs in place for this age group:
Child passenger restraint clinics
Bicycle safety -education including community bike
safety festivals
Playground safety
Turn Off the Violence Campaign in Schools (every
November)
Peace Heroes
Youth 15-24:
Smart risk and the stupid line:
Youth risk reduction strategy development has been core work of the coalition since the
special project funding obtained in 1996. Successive social marketing, education, skill
building and community mobilization strategies have been developed and implemented in a
progressive manner and target youth in a variety of settings. The work has focused on
advancing The Stupid Line concept (a line of choice which separates smart risk from stupid
risk) and in communicating and integrating the five smart risk messages: buckle-up, drive
sober, get trained, look first, wear the gear. A number of different approaches have been
utilized such as school based delivery, community events involving youth such as Youth
Week, and partnership work with key organizations such as Canada Olympic Park.
A specific Smartgrad application of the smart risk approach has been developed and is
offered as a focused program to high schools during the graduation time. The Smartgrad
program has been thoroughly evaluated with the target audiences and has been expanded with
the addition of new resources. One resource of particular interest is a free standing,
computer based, interactive risk management activity called The Tower of Risk.
Youth Suicide Prevention:
Coalition members working with youth have identified suicide prevention as a key priority.
A number of activities have been initiated to support coalition members including two-day
training on applied suicide intervention skills. Additional collaborative activities are
under development such as the creation of a specific website dealing with youth related
suicide information and resources.
Adults 25-65 years:
Safer Calgary:
Safer Calgary is made up of several community agencies as well as two very strong
coalitions: the Calgary Injury Prevention Coalition (CIPC) and the Action Committee
Against Violence (ACAV). Approximately 100 organizations fall under the Safer Calgary
banner.
Other initiatives for this age group include:
· Calgary Domestic Violence Committee
· Home Front (A Designated Domestic Violence Court Program)
Elderly 65+years:
Fall Prevention in Older Adults:
The coalition members with an interest in older adults have chosen to focus their efforts
in the area of fall prevention. An earlier planning process identified the additional
priorities of suicide prevention and violence prevention for older adults, however the
current capacity within the coalition is for work only on falls prevention. Seniors fall
prevention committees have previously started up within the coalition, but have not been
sustainable for a variety of reasons. A newly configured committee came together in 2000
and is progressively developing a plan for their collective work. The new committee has
representation from 4-6 senior adults who bring important perspectives to the work.
GateKeepers Program:
Many of Safer Calgary members participate in the formation of a Seniors Home Safety
Program, known as the Gatekeeper Program (modelled after a similar program in Washington
State, USA). This program establishes an essential link between at-risk older adults and
community support services. The program is preventative in its focus as it provides a way
to identify and help older adults with unmet needs before a serious crisis occurs. The
name 'Gatekeeper' refers to the program's function of opening a 'gate' to a wide variety
of services for older adults. Gatekeepers are people who routinely work in the community
and come into contact with seniors on a daily basis (e.g., postal workers, utility meter
readers, grocery store clerks). The role of the Gatekeeper is to recognize signs, symptoms
and behaviours indicative of a problem in the life of an older adult.
Kerby Rotary House:
Kerby Rotary House opened in the spring of 1999 to respond to elder abuse in Calgary. It
is the first shelter in North America to be specifically built for abused seniors. The
shelter provides safe, secure accommodation to men and women over 60 years of age seeking
refuge from family violence.
At the following environments:
Home:
The Safer Calgary initiative has identified the year 2003 as the Year of Safety Starts at
Home. This theme will guide all its activities for the coming year. One of the planned
activities is the development of a calendar that highlights all the safety programs and
also incorporates safety tips in the home environment.
Community:
Traffic:
Car Seat inspection clinics:
Car Seat Inspection clinics have been provided by coalition partners in Calgary since 1994
with the lead role being played by the regional health authority. Recently the Calgary
Fire Department and Calgary Emergency Medical Services have assumed responsibility for
delivery of the clinics at their sites. The regional health authority will continue to
provide training and resource support to the program.
Other traffic-related safety initiatives include:
"Red Means Stop" campaign
"What are you doing behind the wheel"
campaign
Traffic Safety Task Force
Car seat round up
Traffic Operations High Collision Location Program
Sports & Leisure:
Snowsmart:
Recreation activities such as skiing and snowmobiling have recently been identified as
high risk environments requiring focussed approach covering different age groups. The
Snowsmart program at the Calgary Olympic Park is a program that aims at reducing this risk
at one of Calgary's ski facility. The program rewards those ski hill users identified as
'snowsmart' with gift certificates, season passes or free refreshments.
Bike Helmet:
As of May 1, 2002, all cyclists under age 18 in Alberta are required to wear approved
helmets, whether they are cycling or passengers.
Other sports & leisure safety initiatives include:
Speed limits on bike paths
Water Safety Task Force
Crime Prevention:
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED):
CPTED is a Calgary Police initiative that is based on the premise that the design of our
environment directly affects our behaviour. It influences both the opportunities for crime
to take place and our fear of crime. This has an important impact on our quality of life.
CPTED enhances safety by altering physical design and encouraging positive social
interaction. CPTED can be applied in both existing communities and during the planning
stages of new communities. Ideally, CPTED principles should be applied during the design
phase to avoid potentially costly changes later.
 
This apartment has been modified by adding windows and balconies to the
architectural design. The windows provide increased natural surveillance and the balconies
provide increased natural surveillance and a sense of ownership
Source: Calgary Police website
Block Watch:
Block Watch (also Apartment Watch) is a community-based, crime prevention program that
encourages community members to work together to reduce and prevent crime in their
neighbourhoods. In the Block Watch program, the community members organize their
neighbourhood into "blocks." Blocks are groups of homes close enough together
for each community member to become aware of who lives within their block area. Each
member of Block Watch is part of a link in the chain that helps to prevent crime, through
reporting suspicious activity to the Calgary Police Service.
Crime Stoppers:
Crime Stoppers has more than 1,000 programs operating around the world. Calgary's Crime
Stoppers started in 1982, as a non-profit organization led by a board of citizens. Since
its inception it has received 27,292 tips resulting in 4,287 arrests, clearing 10,029
cases, the recovery of more than $11 million in stolen property and the seizure of nearly
$72 million in illegal drugs.
Violence Prevention Initiatives:
The Action Committee Against Violence (ACAV) is the umbrella group in Calgary for violence
prevention initiatives. It is a coalition of dozens of organizations, formed in 1991 to
focus on reducing the incidence of violence and related crime in Calgary. This coalition
was established on the recommendations of the Mayor's Task Force on Community and Family
Violence.
Some of the ACAV initiatives include:
24-hour help for everyone listings in alternate
format
24-hour help for everyone cards in diverse
languages
Calgary Justice Working Project, focusing on
creating changes in the way the criminal justice system responds to
domestic violence.
Women's Shelters
Workplace:
Workers Compensation Board:
Through the Workers' Compensation Board, workers, employers, industry safety associations
and labour organizations are encouraged to promote injury prevention and develop effective
disability management services.
Young Worker Safety Campaign:
The Young Worker Safety Campaign, also known as the Heads-Up Campaign, is a television and
print advertising campaign. It is a partnership effort of several industry and government
organizations, such as the Workers' Compensation Board and the Petroleum Industry Training
Service. This campaign aims at reducing the disproportionate number of young people
injured at the workplace.
In addition to these initiatives, each the majority of employers in Calgary have their own
workplace safety initiatives.
School:
Playground safety Committee:
The Playground Safety Committee was established in 1994 in response to the identification
of fall prevention as a priority area for the coalition. It includes representation from
the Health Canada (product safety), Calgary Board of Education, City of Calgary (Parks),
Daycare Licensing Unit, private citizens, playground suppliers and regional health
authority personnel. The goal of the Playground Safety Committee is to reduce the number
and severity of playground injuries occurring in the Calgary Region.
School Bus Safety Programs:
The Calgary Board of Education, in conjunction with school bus companies, has developed a
First Ride Program to educate parents and kindergarten children about how to ride the
school bus safely.
School Safety Patrol:
Canada is one of the many countries that has implemented the School Safety Patrol Program.
This program's history in Calgary dates back to the 1930's.
Other school-based initiatives include:
Turn Off the Violence Campaign every year in
November
Conflict Resolution and Anti Bullying Programs
Walk the Talk Pedestrian Safety
By Mechanism of Injury Area (top five):
Traffic Related (summarized above)
Falls Related (playground, occupational, sport and
leisure, seniors)
Violence Related (summarize above)
Suicide Related (summarize above)
Occupational Related (summarize above)
High Risk Groups (top five):
Children
Youth
Older Adults
Aboriginal population
Persons with disabilities
Surveillance of injuries:
All hospitals in Calgary are administered by the same Health Authority. This allows for
the documentation and tracking of the types and frequency of injuries with a high level of
accuracy and consistency, through the Calgary Health Region Corporate Data.
In the Calgary region, injuries are the leading cause of death for people age 1 to 49 and
account for the highest volume of Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL). People in the
Calgary region are most commonly injured or killed in motor vehicle related events, falls,
suicide, violence and workplace incidents.
Numbers per year:
In the year 2000, there were 403 injury-related fatalities, 6,159 injury related
hospitalizations and 66,306 injury related emergency department visits. These numbers
represent the following rates per 100,000 population for Calgary region residents:
42.6injury fatalities
651 injury related hospitalizations
7005 injury related emergency department visits
Population base in 2000: 946,490
Started year: 1999
Staff:
Number: 1 full-time, permanent City of Calgary employee assigned to
support Safer Calgary initiative
Profession: Social Work
Organization: City of Calgary
Specific intersectoral leadership group: Safer Calgary
International commitments:
Study visits: Not Yet
Participation in Safe Community conferences:
WHO Safe Communities Conference, Rainy River,
Canada (2002)
WHO Safe Communities Conference, Viborg, Denmark
(2001)
WHO Safe Communities Conference, Vienna, Austria
(2000)
Measurement Indicators Workshop, Prague, Czech
Republic (2000)
WHO Safe Communities Conference, Rotterdam, The
Netherlands (1999)
World Injury Conference in Amsterdam, The
Netherlands (1999)
WHO Safe Communities Workshop on Applying the Model
to Large Urban Centres, Dallas, USA (1998)
WHO Safe Communities Conference in Wood Buffalo,
Canada (1995)
Hosting Safe Community Conferences:
Calgary is hosting an international workshop on safe communities, entitled "A
Learning Journey: Integrating the Safe Community Model in Large Urban Centres", from
April 2-4 , 2003. This will coincide with the SafetyExpo2003 and the designation of
Calgary as a member of the Safe Community Network.
Calgary also hosted Dr. Leif Svanström in 2001. The purpose of his visit was to get a
first hand look at the range of injury prevention programs that Calgary has in place.
Hosting "Travelling Seminars":
Some preliminary discussions are taking place about a travelling seminar of the Americas.
Details are yet to be worked out.
Calgary is fortunate to have many individuals and organizations active in promoting safety
and injury prevention in the community - too many to capture in one photograph. The
following are the current individuals driving the WHO designation process:
Carol Eamer, Beyond Compliance Inc.
Nancy Staniland, Calgary Health Region
Jennifer Drozdowski, Faculty of Medicine and
Dentistry, University of Alberta
Greg Steinraths, City of Calgary
Susan Dewitt, City of Calgary
Menna Kebede, City of Calgary
Yasmin Dean, City of Calgary
Mark Iantkow, Independent Living Resource Centre of
Calgary
Bob Lang, Federation of Calgary Communities
Photo: (Clockwise from top-left) Mark
Iantkow; Greg Steinraths; Bob Lang; Menna Kebede; Yasmin Dean; Carol Eamer and Nancy
Staniland
For further information contact:
Greg Steinraths
City of Calgary
P.O.Box 2100, Stn. M (8116)
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 2M5 Canada
Phone: + 1- 403 2681159
Fax: +1 -403 537 3063
 gregory.steinraths@calgary.ca
_____________________________
Calgary, Alberta, Canada- Application to Become
a Member of the Safe Community Network
 The
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files requires Acrobat Reader, available free from Adobe's website |
Updated by Moa
Sundström, 2002-12-18 12:06.
|
