National Safety Council Designates Emory University a Safe Community

Emory University is the first in Georgia, the second academic institution and the 20th in the United States to be recognized as an international Safe Community by the National Safety Council (NSC).

Through the Safe Community designation process, a coalition – the Emory Safety Alliance, composed of 25 faculty, staff and student groups on campus as well as collaborators outside Emory – was formed to identify the current programs, data collection and gaps specifically dedicated to safety promotion and injury prevention on campus.

The application process was completed in March 2012 when site visitors from Safe Communities America and Canada visited Emory University for a two-day tour. They reviewed Emory University for injury prevention efforts, which included an interactive tour of the Emory safety departments and groups, featuring the Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) on a campus shooting exercise as well as a tour of neighboring Emory collaborative groups including the CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

The international Safe Community designation is based on six criteria:

• A cross-sectional partnership responsible for the promotion of community safety
• Long-term sustainable programs for all genders, ages, environments and situations
• Programs targeting high-risk groups and environments
• Programs documenting the frequency and causes of injuries
• Evaluation measures to assess programs and the effects of change
• Ongoing participation in national and international Safe Communities networks

NSC is the International Certifying Center for the U.S. through the Safe Communities America program, guiding community stakeholders to reduce injuries and promote safety for the residents of their communities. NSC will present the Safe Community designation to Emory University on April 24.

For more information, please visit safecommunitiesamerica.org.