Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Injury Prevention topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Safe Kids representatives brief Hillsborough commissioners on drowning, car‑seat and safe‑storage programs
Summary
Safe Kids Orange County representatives told the Hillsborough board about local injury‑prevention work — including child‑passenger safety clinics, free diversion for car‑seat violations, water‑safety classes and a firearm secure‑storage program — and asked the town to help with outreach and partnerships.
Safe Kids Orange County representatives presented to the Hillsborough Town Board on June 8, outlining the coalition’s injury‑prevention work and asking local officials to spread the word and support partnerships.
Anna Thornson, a Safe Kids representative affiliated with the trauma program at UNC Chapel Hill, described the coalition’s prevention focus across motor‑vehicle collisions, falls, drowning and intentional injuries. Thornson said gunshot wounds have become a top injury for adults treated in the trauma program and emphasized mental‑health and substance‑misuse work as underlying drivers of many injuries.
Thornson gave local examples: she said about 15 drowning deaths occurred at Jordan Lake in the last three years and described a recent water‑confidence class that had strong turnout. She also highlighted Safe Kids’ child‑passenger safety work: certified technicians who complete a four‑day training run permanent car‑seat checking stations in cooperation with area fire departments and social services. Thornson said the coalition has completed more than 700 car‑seat installations across the two counties since 2021 and noted a new statewide diversion program now offers free online education for certain child‑passenger‑safety violations instead of the prior $25 fee.
On firearm safety, Thornson said Safe Kids runs a firearm‑safety team and partners with Veterans Affairs and juvenile‑justice agencies; the coalition distributes free cable gun locks at roughly 20 sites in the two counties and is seeking funds to expand secure‑storage options. Thornson also outlined home‑safety partnerships that supply pack‑and‑plays, safe‑sleep sacks and temporary cabinet locks to families through referral programs such as WIC and refugee services.
Thornson asked the board to help publicize Safe Kids resources and events. Board members thanked the coalition and noted the town and local public‑safety agencies already collaborate on smoke‑alarm distribution, bike‑safety events and other outreach.
What happens next: Safe Kids asked for local partnership and for the town to share the coalition’s resources with residents and community organizations.
