H.C.R. No. 141
                              HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, Each year emergency medical services (EMS) personnel
    1-2  in our state respond to numerous calls to assist injured children,
    1-3  many of whom were harmed in accidents that could have been
    1-4  prevented; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, In response to the alarming number of serious
    1-6  childhood injuries and fatalities in Texas, the "Think Child
    1-7  Safety" program was organized in 1989 by Emergency Medical Service
    1-8  in Paris, Texas, where it proved to be an immediate success and was
    1-9  formally adopted by the city and provided with a registered
   1-10  trademark and logo; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, This highly effective, low-cost program pairs high
   1-12  school students trained in basic safety procedures with EMS
   1-13  personnel to deliver presentations to elementary school students
   1-14  that will provide them with the vital information they need to make
   1-15  safe decisions; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, In addition to imparting simple injury prevention
   1-17  and safety concepts to young children, program volunteers also
   1-18  promote safety awareness throughout the greater community by
   1-19  offering helpful demonstrations and lectures and distributing
   1-20  informative materials; and
   1-21        WHEREAS, The program sets up partnerships with local
   1-22  businesses and civic organizations, which support its worthy goals
   1-23  in a variety of ways, whether donating needed items such as
   1-24  business services, coloring books, calendars, and t-shirts, funding
    2-1  public service announcements, or promoting greater awareness of the
    2-2  program by placing the "Think Child Safety" logo on their company
    2-3  vehicles; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, In 1993, the program further expanded its reach with
    2-5  the introduction of "mobile safety vehicles"; supplied by community
    2-6  groups and businesses, these vehicles maintain a constant presence
    2-7  in the community and serve as an easily identifiable "safe zone"
    2-8  where a child can turn to seek help in an emergency; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, A number of cities across Texas have adopted the
   2-10  "Think Child Safety" program as word of its grassroots success has
   2-11  spread; most recently, the Fort Worth/Tarrant County MedStar EMS
   2-12  System began coordinating with the city of Paris to place the
   2-13  program's logo on all of its emergency vehicles as part of its plan
   2-14  to establish the program in the area; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, The "Think Child Safety" program has received the
   2-16  endorsement and support of the Texas Department of Health's Bureau
   2-17  of Emergency Management, which through the actions of Bureau Chief
   2-18  Gene Weatherall and Texas EMS magazine editor Alana Mallard has
   2-19  actively promoted the program and integrated its important message
   2-20  into a number of other programs sponsored by the health department;
   2-21  and
   2-22        WHEREAS, This valuable program has garnered a number of
   2-23  prominent awards at the local and statewide levels and has won
   2-24  widespread acclaim from leading professionals in the health and
   2-25  education fields, as well as from such noted public figures as
   2-26  United States Representative Jim Chapman and former Texas Governor
   2-27  Ann Richards, professional sports celebrities Bum Phillips, Earl
    3-1  Campbell, Roger Staubach, Jim Jeffcoat, and Popeye Jones, as well
    3-2  as country music singing star Holly Dunn; and
    3-3        WHEREAS, In recognition of its lifesaving potential, "Think
    3-4  Child Safety" has once again been selected as the theme of Texas
    3-5  EMS Week, which is being held May 14-20, 1995, to acknowledge the
    3-6  contributions of our state's EMS personnel; and
    3-7        WHEREAS, The efforts of all who have given so generously of
    3-8  their time and resources to ensure the success of the "Think Child
    3-9  Safety" program have undoubtedly made the world a safer place for
   3-10  our children, and this outstanding program is indeed deserving of
   3-11  special legislative recognition in light of its significant
   3-12  contributions in this regard; now, therefore, be it
   3-13        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   3-14  hereby designate May 18, 1995, as Think Child Safety Day at the
   3-15  State Capitol and encourage its observance in schools and
   3-16  communities across the state.