Name of the Community: Ski Municipality
Country: Norway
Number of inhabitants: 26,672
Programme started year: 1997
International Safe Communities Network Membership: Designation year : 2002

Info address on www for the Municipality:
www.ski.kommune.no

The programme covers the following safety promotion activities:

Children 0-14 years:

Health Centre for children
Accident preventive themes are addressed during house call,consultations, individually and in groups.A safety bag is under preparation for use at the health centre and kindergartens. The kindergarten department has made an emergency plan for various accident, illness and so on, for all kindergartens un the municipality. The school department has stated the work with an equal plan for all schools in the Municipality.

The municipality has for several years had good routines for approval of private and home based kindergartens. The consideration is made in a cooperative effort between the kindergarten department and the department for preventive health work. Follow up work on the regulations for playground equipment is done through guidance and enforcement of the rules. The technical sector is responsible for maintenance and enforcement of the rules, but the manager of the kindergarten has the day to day responsibility.

A safety bag is prepared for use at the Health Centre and in kindergartens.The bag is intended for educational purposes for staff working with children and parents. The bag contains a smoke detector, a smoke blanket, a test cylinder for the size of toys, safety blocks for windows, doors, and drawers, various types of reflectors a safety pamphlet, block for electrical outlets, and examples of mats to prevent sliding,to mention some objects.The bag has been presented to the boards of the kindergartens and the Health centre staff.

A "Safety week" is arranged every year. It is an educational program for selected groups. The 9^th grade, immigrants in Norwegian language classes, and the elderly are the main target groups. They are educate in CPR, preventive fire protection and traffic safety in connection with bike riding and speed. There is a taskforce for the "Safety Week".

The Youth Contact Patrol (YCP) goes out to meet youth several nights a week. Their main target groups are youth at risk of developing a substance abuse problem. In addition the YCP co-opertes extensively with the health Centre for Youth, the school health care in the high schools and the youth clubs.

Night Raven groups are established in three of the four towns in the Municipality. The first group started in 1997. Adults patrol Friday ond Saturday night. The police has reported that there is less noise and vandalism in the place where the Night Ravens patrol.

All school are starting to work by Dan Olweus anti harassment program form the academic year 2001/2002.Two municipal instructors are going to be trained who will guide the schools through carrying out the program. The plan of action against harassment is closely connected with the plan for development of social competence in schools and kindergartens.

Adults 25-64 years:
The municipality as a corporation to a larges extent decides how the municipality as a community develops. It is, therefor, important to prioritise the work with injury preventive thinking and a culture for safety within the municipality planning. Ski Municipality as a corporation is also one of the largest employers in the Municipality. What is planned and worked on within the municipal operations, benefits the individual citizens through the municipal services.

Sprinkler systems have been installed an all nursing homes.

Buckets of sand are available for elderly and disabled persons.They call the Centre for Volunteer Work, who notifies the Kiwis Club in Ski. They drive around and refill buckets with sand.

Ice spikes and creepers are for sale at the Service Centre for the Elderly and Disabled.

A safety bag is being developed for the elderly.They can also be used at lectures in clubs and organisations and during home visits with seniors. The bad contains almost the same objects as the bag for staff working with children.

At the following environments:

Home:
Health Centre for children: give the parents information about accident preventive themes. During the "Safety Week" there is a Campaign day for the public. The target is to initiate processes with individuals and groups on the needs for safety. The youth gets information on preventive fire protection with practical fire extinguishing. We know that the youth discuss ther experiences with their parents afterwards.

Traffic:
The Municipal Plan for Traffic Safety is to be developed in 2002. Information was gathered from children, youth, the elderly and disabled about dangerous traffic areas in the municipality as a basic for the development of the Municipal Plan for Traffic Safety.

Traffic measurements are done as a part of considering the future need for lowering the speed limits and constructing speed bumps. In the densely populated areas the speed limit has been set to 30 km/hour.

At all elementary schools physical accommodations have been made to separate pedestrians and motor vehicles. This is followed up when new school facilities are built.From the academic year 2001/2002 several schools will initiate measures to influence the parent’s driving habits on the road to school.

Occupational:
Statistics from the labour commission gives out an overview of the registered injuries in private industries generally in Ski Municipality. These statistics will form the basis for discussing the situation with Ski Industrial Council and how they prioritised the work with injury prevention.

School:
The Akershus Central Road Commission and Akarshus Safe Traffic developed the concept "Companion" in 1997. The purpose is to have adults walking together with the 1^st graders to school and let them practice practical traffic knowledge, and limit the extent of driving children to school. There are 6 schools in Ski Municipality who has various projects. Adults greet and secure children who come by bus/taxi to school, and have supervision with areas close to the school with a lot of traffic.

"Traffic Safety in the Schools"is an other project as well as being a theme in the regular education. The project started in 1999 and will come to an end i 2002. The project has 3 aims: -To integrate traffic safety in the curriculum for preschool, elementary school, and high school.-Include traffic safety as an obligatory part of the education for teachers ( develop curriculums).-No children are going to be hit by motor vehicles at or around the school area.

Sports:
There is a great deal of athletic activities in the Municipality. Soccer, hand ball,athletics,land hockey, orienteering ice hockey and skiing to mention some. As of today there is no total overview in the Municipality of the number of injuries.

The sports consultant has as one of his focus areas to further develop the cooperation between the athletic groups and the municipal authorities on prevention and registration of sports related injuries. The topic has been introduced in the fall of 2001, and will be followed up in 2002.

Leisure:
"Municipal Plan for Wilderness- neighborhood- and Athletic Sacilities 1999-2010" has been developed. The plan has a vision of athletics and physical activity for everyone.Within the focus area for a safe environment for children and youth to grow up in, the cooperation for the development and Ski Municipality to become a safe community is one of the chosen strategies.

Other: Ski Municipality strives to have updated emergency plans and routines for notification and works continuously at this. The last year there has thus been held thematic meetings about the train accidents in Asta and Lillestrom with representatives from the municipalities and the police who have shared their experiences and what they have learned. In addition there are yearly emergency rehearsals with the police, civil defence, fire department and the AMK (Acute Medical Command Centre) in Akershus County.This is useful both for practising emergency routines in the Municipality organisation as well as co-operation with the police as a LRC (Local Rescue Central). The rehearsals are observed both by the Chief Administative Officer og Akershus County and by neighbouring Municipalities and is so far unique in Akershus.

Violence prevention:
Coordination of the local crime preventive efforts was started on January 1, 2001. This work was seen in connection with the development of Ski Municipality to become a Safe Community.The main goals are prevention of violence, substance abuse and first offences. The first projects are in preparation and are initiated i in January 2002.

Suicide prevention:
The Municipality has a inter-departmental team that coodinates further follow up of persons who are discharged from the hospital after suicide attemps.

Programs aiming at "High risk-groups": Yes.

Surveillance of injuries:
Ski Municipality has until now dealt with national statistics. In the municipality there are 15 private clinics with several different computer programs. Therefor, it has not been a priority to initiate injury registration in the primary health care sector.We receive help from the Central Institute for Public Health to isolate the numbers for Ski Municipality.

A database for local registration in Ski Municipality is being developed. Kindergartens, schools, homes for the elderly and disabled have started to register. From the database reports will be made that are sent to the institutions. The intention is that the institutions will use local injury regisration to evaluate their own practice, and create awareness about facilitation to prevent serious injuries from happening. In addition, discoveries may be made of necessary improvements.

Numbers per year: 2000: 319
Population base: 25394
Started year: The local registration started in 2001, and we are going to have the first rapports at the end of February 2002.

Produced information material, pamphlets:

Report from "Safety Week" every year. A pamphlets for preventive work among the elderly people. Plan for Action withPlan for Efforts adobted by Ski Council. The Application for WHO’s Collaborating Centre, and there are made posters about different topics from the prevention work in Ski Municipality.

Staff: A co-ordinator in part time.
Number: A cross-sectorial group (7 persons) will instigator responsibility for the injury- and accident preventive work further develops en Ski Municipality in co-operation with the co-ordinator and the group of leaders under the Chief Executive. The cross-sectorial group has a separate mandate.
Permanent: yes
Temporary: To work with coordination of local crime preventive efforts, a temporary employment position of 50% was established for a time period of 3 years.This work was seen in connection with the development of Ski Municipality to become a Safe Community.
Organisation:
The coordinator is an occupational therapist. The instigator responsibility for the injury and accident preventive work in Ski Municipality has been placed with the health department. The cross-sectorial group has a separate mandate. The group of leaders under the Chief Executive has the over all responsibility. There are 4 cross-sectorial taskforces. It is: "Taskforce for the Safety Week"," Children on the road to school", "Traffic safety in the school" and "Taskforce for preventive work among the elderly".
Specific intersectoral leadership group: Yes.
General public health/health promotion group: No.

International commitments:

Study visits: representatives from the Friendship Municipality were invited to visit the "Safety Week 2001". Professionals from Ski Municipality went to Gladsaxe in Denmark November 2001 to learn more about traffic safety within the schools, professionals from Ski Municipality went to to Solna in Sweden in April 2002 to learn more about threir work with no tolerance for alcohol and drugs.

Participation in Safe Community conferences: Fredrikstad 1997, Harstad 1997, 2000 and 2001, Oslo (Stovner) 2001, Vejle 2001, Alvdal 2001. Information about the work in Ski municipality has been presented through written information, posters participation in groups an lectures in Sandefjord, Fredrikstad, Harstad, Vejle, Tromso.

Hosting Safe Community Conferences: In February 2001 Ski Municipality invited the friendship municipalities Gladsaxe, (Denmark ) Solna (Sweden) Pirrkala (Finland) to a professional seminar in Ski. Ski Municipality presented its work. In addition the Secretariat for Safe Communities the Norwegian network, and the Justice and Police Ministry present their work with coordination of local crime preventive efforts.

Hosting "Travelling Seminars": June 2002 together with the Secretariat for Safe Communities the Norwegian network, Larvik, Fredrikstad, Spydeberg Municipalities.

Other: Ski Municipality has Friendship Municipalities in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. October 2^nd 2000 at the Nordic Frienship Municipalities’ Cooperation meeting in Solna in Sweden it was decided that the theme "Safe Communities" will be addressed the next 2 years. In June 2002 Ski Municipality will host "The Great Political Meeting", in the Frienships Muncipalitie’ Cooperation, at the same time we host the Travelling Seminar.

For further information contact:

Liv Marit Bølset, Leader
Municipal Department of Health, Ski Municipality
pb.3010
NO-1402 Ski, Norway
Phone: +4764878700
Fax: +4764878670
liv.marit.bolset@ski.kommune.no

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