The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:

For the age group

Children 0-14 years: YES
Youth 15-24 years: YES
Adults 25-64 years: YES
Elderly 65+ years: YES

At the following environments:

Home:

NEIGHBOURHOOD INSPECTION. An annual neighbourhood inspection form is circulated throughout the community to allow the general public to walk their neighbourhood and check for any potential hazards. The information is compiled and sent to the attention of the appropriate departments within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

Traffic:

CHILD PASSENGER RESTRAINTS. Drive through clinics are held to ensure correct installation of infant and toddler car seats in vehicles and the proper positioning of the child. The checklist also includes checking for age, Canadian Safety Association approval and tether bolt installation.
CHECK STOPS. The RCMP Royal Canadian Mounted Police routinely set up check stops to check for impaired drivers. Drivers who have been drinking are either issued a 24hr suspension or a breathalyzer test. The vehicles of those who are impaired are detained on the side of the road by a yellow 'boot' to further discourage drinking and driving. The impaired driver must pay to have the 'boot' removed from their vehicle.

Occupational: PARTNERSHIP IN INJURY REDUCTION. A program developed through Alberta Labour and the Workers Compensation Board. The Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Wood Buffalo Safe/Healthy Community Network to deliver this program to small businesses who may not have the resources of a larger company or do not belong to an industry association. The purpos is to assist them in establishing a comprehensive Health and Safety program. Financial incentives come through reduced claim costs, reduced insurance premiums, reduced lost-time incidents, increased work efficiency and increased worker morale. Collectively the group benefits with subsequent benefit to individual participants and Workers Compensation Board financial incentives to the businesses for reducing their claims. Ongoing training is conducted in the community tailored to the needs of the local participants. Alberta Occupational Health and Safety approved audits of the businesses will be undertaken and those passing the audit will receive a Certificate of Recognition from Alberta Labour.
OFF THE JOB SAFETY. Both Suncor and Syncrude have added "Off the Job Safety" to their comprehensive Loss Management Systems.

School:

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, KEYANO COLLEGE. Students start off with a St. John Ambulance course focused on child safety.
STUDENTS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING. Father Mercredi High School has a very active group of students produce special service anouncements and advertising messages promoting anti-drinking and driving. They also make presentations to elementary and junior high schools, organize and present parent information sessions "Tips for Preventing Teenagers From Drinking and Driving" and partner with the OK Radio Group with the Contract For Life. They won 3 awards last year and presented at the SADD National Conference this year.
RCMP(Royal Canadian Mounted Police) SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER. This full-time position is funded by the School Board and Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for the next 3 to 4 years. The officer is dedicated solely to to this position.
JOB SAFETY SKILLS. This 3rd level course is part of the Career & Technology Studies program in Alberta Schools. The Fort McMurray Partners in Education Council has recommeded the course as a prerequisite for any student on work experince, job shadowing, partime work or coop assignments. Composite High School has added the introductory course "Personal Safety Management" to the curriculum of the C.A.L.M. course. This is the only school in the province of Alberta that has made this a mandatory course.

Sports: SLED SAFETY. Children receive education from teachers through educational packages provided by Safe Kids to all schools. Promotion of the packages is provided to teachers at the fall Teacher's Institute poster session. Radio and newspaper (back page of the comics) advertising is also provided including a contest for children. Vista Ridge Recreation has been provided with safety guidelines and recommendations for toboggan hills (including providing helmets). The municipality has sanded hills that are identified as not safe for toboganning. The injury surveillance system will record injuries caused by unsafe sledding.

Leisure: SAFETY & WELLNESS FAIR. All organizations with safety and/or wellness programs are invited to participate in a one day fair where they set up an interactive booth, display or demonstrations with a safety and/or wellness theme. The goal is to educate young and old about the agencies, programs and organizations in the community and teach people about hazards, mostly in their everyday life.
PARADE SAFETY. A list of guidelines for parades has been compiled and will be included with all parade permits.

Violence prevention:
KINCAPP (KINSMEN KINETTE CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAM). The local Kinsmen and Kinette service clubs hold an annual golf tournament and auction to raise money for child abuse prevention. Training seminars for professionals and volunteers working with children and family violence, button and bookmark campaigns to advertise the local crisis hotline, sponsorship of the annual Youth Conference and providing books, videos and literature to schools and other groups with interest in the well-being of children are some of the projects they have funded. In 1996 over 5,500 school children in Fort McMurray and the surrounding area participated in the Street Proofing Our Kids interactive child protection program delivered to in the schools. The program stresses common sense and teaches both parents and children how to recognize and prevent potentially dangerous abduction or sexual abuse situations.

Suicide prevention:
SOME OTHER SOLUTIONS SOCIETY FOR CRISIS PREVENTION is a non-profit society that hosts four main programs, one of which is suicide prevention. The Suicide Prevention Coordinator provides aareness workshops, presentations, promotion and resources. "Before Suicide" flyers which include all emergency resource numbers for the area are available. Last year's major initiative was the production of a flyer on Non Prescription Drugs provided to pharmacies, parent groups and other agencies. The TAG (Teen Advisory Group has produced a poster on a self harm knowledge quiz with answers. It is being provided to schools, churches and displayed throughout the community. They have also written and produced radio and cable TV ads.
The Helpline/Teenline offers a confidential and anonymous listening and referral service, operated by trained, caring and dedicated volunteers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Programs aiming at "High risk-groups"
COATS FOR KIDS is a community campaign to provide coats for anyone in the community. Residents are asked to drop off their coats, which are dry cleaned, mended and displayed in a vacant store in the local shopping mall. Anyone may take a coat but those who are able to are asked to exchange one or bring a donation to the food bank. Approximately, 1500 coats and numerous hats, mitts and scarfs are recycled in Fort McMurray and the outlying communities. Last year, all drawstrings in hoods were shortened or removed as a safety precaution.

Surveillance of injuries:
Northern Lights Regional Health Centre
Includes all injury visits to the Emergency Department, injury hospitalizations and injury deaths.
Numbers per year: 12,000
Population base: 45,000
Started year: April, 1997 (modified CHIRP Pilot project 1993-94)

Produced information material, pamphlets:

• Health-Related Behaviours and Indicators of Social Adjustment in Fort McMurray, 1992: Baseline data from the Fort McMurray Demonstration Project in Social Marketing by Tee L. Guidotti, Lynda Watson, Malynda Wheeler
• Fort McMurray Safe Community Application, 1995.
• Pamphlet including Mission, Goals and slogan "To Be Safe and Healthy in all we do".
  

International commitments:

Study visits:
1993 Dr. Leif Svanström
1994 Dr. Leif Svanström

Participation in Safe Community conferences:
Harstad Norway, 1994, Fort McMurray, Canada, 1995, Hume City and la Trobe Valley, 1996

Hosting Safe Community Conferences: June, 1995 Fourth International Safe Community Conference

Hosting "Travelling Seminars": 1995

Other:
1993 Third Annual National Conference, Social Marketing in Public Health A New Strategy in Health Promotion, Clearwater Beach, Florida. Presentation by Lynda Watson and Malynda Wheeler
1994 Fourth Annual National Conference, Social Marketing in Public Health. Presentation by Lynda Watson and Malynda Wheeler.
1995 Fourth International Conference on Safe Communities. Presentation by Dr. Tee Guidotti, Lynda Watson and Malynda Wheeler.
1997 Building A Safe Community Conference, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Keynote Speaker Malynda Wheeler.

Staff

1. part-time (10 hours/week) Facilitator, Malynda Wheeler
Professions: network members
Permanent: ongoing fundraising
Temporary: facilitator on contract

Organization: The Wood Buffalo Safe/Healthy Community Network is a volunteer, community funded group. The executive is elected annually.

Specific intersectoral leadership group: Wood Buffalo Safe/Healthy Community Network includes
membership from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, Catholic School Board, Suncor Inc. Oilsands Group, Syncrude Canada Limited, Northwestern Utilities Limited, Keyano College, Physiotherapy Association, Students Against Drunk Driving, Alberta Alcohol and Drug Addiction, Some Other Solutions, Civil Air Rescue Emergency Services, St. John Ambulance, Alberta Council on Smoking and Health(Fort McMurray Chapter) and the general public.

General public health/health promotion group: from membership
A Marketing/Promotion Committee will be formed in the fall to promote the Network by revising the web page, continuing to publish our newsletter, implementing a recognition program for individuals/organizations who have contributed to the promotion of health & safety and/or reduction of injury in the community and issue a injury report in the newspaper in conjunction with the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre injury monitoring data.