Safety City Program

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service!in cooperation with!

Texas Department of Transportation

Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.

Safety City Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

● Preventable Injury is the leading cause of death for children 14 and younger.!

● This age group makes up 15% of all fire deaths!● In Texas in 2012, 14% of all “non-driver” traffic

related deaths were under 14 years of age.

The Problem


The Problem

● Injuries from motor vehicle traffic crashes 2011-2012!▪ Based on statistics from the TxDOT, injuries to children

14 and younger increased by 39% statewide.!▪ In those two years, in our 10 county TxDOT district,

the increase was 45%!


What can we do?

● Education in injury prevention will focus on:!▪ Pedestrian Safety!▪ Bicycle Safety!▪ Seat belts!▪ Fire Safety!▪ (and other safety topics)


Teaching Safety to Kids

● How do you get kids engaged in learning?!▪ Make it a “hands on” experience!▪ Make it “important”!▪ Make it FUN!

Original College Station Safety City (Timber Street)


The Old College Station Safety City

▪ Making learning about safety into fun.

▪ In the late 1970s, College Station built a Safety City, on Timber Street near Bush Drive.


What IS a Safety City?● A “kid-sized” miniature town, with streets, buildings, traffic

signals and signs, crosswalks and bike lanes. ● A place where kids can “put into practice” those things

taught by parents and in classrooms in a SAFE and SECURE environment.

● A place where public safety personnel and other safety experts can interact with the kids and help them learn both the why and how of the safety lessons they’ve been taught.


Frisco Fire Safety Town

The “Brazos Valley” Safety City Project● Grant through TxDOT to hire a fulltime program

coordinator with the first year goals of:!● Establishing a planning committee!● Identify Key Partners!● Obtain a site!● Identify a lead agency!● Create a site plan

Establish a Planning Committee● We have representation from local Law Enforcement,

Fire and EMS, other local government agencies, service organizations, and private companies.!

● We are adding new members as we find those who are interested in helping.

Identifying Key Partners● Those people or agencies who have resources or

expertise that they are willing and able to share in establishing the facility.!

● We already have a number of these partnerships established.!

● For example, we have TAMU Landscape Architecture and Building Science Department as well as a local architecture firm who have promised assistance in planning and designing the facility.

Obtaining A Site● We are looking for a place that will be both

convenient for getting groups of kids in and out of, and which will be an “attraction” for our area.!● We have few suggestions on a site, but no one and no

agency has given us a commitment on the site so far.!● We are hoping to find 1 to 4 acres, in a central,

accessible location. (Size related to adequate school bus and car parking, the facility we envision can be on about 1 acre, including classroom and miniature city, if adequate bus and car parking is available already nearby.)

Identifying a Lead Agency● The committee has established a list of expected

duties for the lead agency, these include:!● Serve as “point of contact” during initial fund-raising

and construction.!● Facility Scheduling and Program Coordination!● Facility Maintenance!● Probably will require at least one FTE employee to

manage the operation and ongoing needs.

Building the facility● We plan to fund the facility through donations and

sponsorships.!● Homebuilders or commercial builders might build a

miniature version of their “style” of construction.!● Things like buildings, miniature homes, or “streets” could

be “sponsored” by local businesses, naming the street or putting their business name on a house or building for a fee, plus annual maintenance costs.!

● Other things that would require more maintenance and/or replacement, like miniature cars and bicycles could be sponsored for a fee, or financed through donations or fund-raising activities.

The Future● It is hoped that with help from volunteers and the lead

agency, that the future costs and expenses for Safety City could continue to be funded by donations and sponsorships.!● Other funding options might include “renting” the

classroom space for evening or weekend meetings, or even allowing other groups outside of the public schools, to use the facility for a fee.!

● Several suggestions have been made in the committee meetings, and at this time, we remain open to alternatives.

Government & Nonprofit

Safety City Program