EMS and Law Enforcement

Volume 3, Number 4 - June 2000

Law enforcement and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies continue to play an essential role in Safe Communities. While the words "law enforcement" usually invoke images of police agencies, many Safe Communities programs have discovered that courts can also be valuable partners. In Cook County, Illinois, the circuit court sponsors Drive Wise-Stay Alive, a Safe Communities program that, this year, is targeting drivers in the age groups most likely to be involved in collisions: those ages 16-20, 21-34, and over 70. In addition to participating in national initiatives, such as National Child Passenger Safety Week and Drive Safely Work Week, Drive Wise-Stay Alive is developing outreach and educational programs for senior citizens and producing a film for high school students on risk taking. The program also sponsors an annual Teen Traffic Safety Education conference. For more information, contact Program Coordinator Donna Nielsen at (312) 822-3530. Additional ideas on the role law enforcement and EMS agencies can have in Safe Communities programs can be found throughout this issue.

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