By Patterson H.C.R. No. 141 74R8748 PFG-D 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.