Becoming A Safe Community
Every community has its own unique personality, its own rhythm and vibrancy and its own unique challenges. The injury patterns and
problems are also unique to each community. However, by determining which ones are most impacting your community, and designing
injury prevention programs specific to your community, you can make a difference. Your community may already have individuals,
groups, and organizations who have committed their time and resources to make your community safer. Working together, in partnership,
communities can reduce disabling injuries and save lives. It all starts with a commitment to making safety a priority for your community.
Let Safe Communities America help you become a Safe Community.
Designation Process
Designation involves a three step process:
1. Submitting a letter of intent followed by an application,
2. A site visit from Safe Communities certifying representatives,
3. A ceremony celebrating your official designation.
1. Submitting an application
Your written application describes your community and highlights how your community
meets the six Safe Communities program indicators.
All applications must follow international guidelines.
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Download Guidelines for Safe Communities
Send your completed application to Safe Communities America.
Safe Communities Designation Requirements
The Safe Communities designation is awarded to communities that have demonstrated leadership in promoting safety,
reducing injuries, and preparing their citizens for natural and man-made disasters. Communities seeking designation must
meet the following six indicators established by the WHO Collaborating Center on Community Safety Promotion and Safe Communities program:
1. Demonstrate leadership based on partnership and collaborations with all community sectors that
are responsible for safety promotion in their community;
2. Long-term, sustainable programs covering both genders and all ages, environments, situations, and includes
preparing their citizens for emergencies and disasters;
3. Programs that target high-risk groups and environments, and programs that promote safety for vulnerable groups;
4. Collect data on number and causes of injuries;
5. Evaluate their programs, processes and the effects of change;
6. Participate in national and international Safe Communities networks.
Application Costs
Safe Communities America works with Safe Communities Canada as part of the North America Safe
Communities Network. Safe Communities Canada is currently the Certifying Center in North America.
If you are submitting your Safe Communities application to this Certifying Center please download and review
the 2009 international Safe Communities designation fee schedule for Canada / North America Certifying Center and their procedures.
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Download Certifying Center Designation Fee Schedule
2. Site Visit
After review of your application, a Certifying Center site reviewer will schedule a site visit.
The site visit is an opportunity to highlight your community and its safety promotion and injury prevention programs.
3. Designation Ceremony
Celebrate Your Success! The Safe Communities Designation brings international recognition to
your community’s safety and injury prevention efforts. A Safe Communities representative will be present to award your community this honor.
Guidelines for maintaining membership in the
International Network of Safe Communities
1. Annual Reports
Communities are required to submit a simple, one to two page
annual reports to the CCCSP website and, when applicable, a copy to the certifying
center that is working with the community during its re-designation process.
Communities will also be required to update their existing web pages, housed on the
CCCSP server at Karolinska Institutet, on an annual basis.
2. After Five Years— the Re-designation process
Safe Communities that make their annual reports are considered members in good
standing for five years. Those communities that do not submit annual reports are now
required to submit applications for re-entry into the network, five years after their
entry to the network.
Five years from the date of your organization's original SC designation, SC
organizations are asked to participate in a review process that will lead to their
're-designation' status.