Risk Watch

In 1999, The Georgetown Fire Department was selected as one of twenty communities in North America to be a "Pilot Community" for the "Risk Watch" Safety Program. Since that time The City of Georgetown has installed "Risk Watch " in every Elementary School in Georgetown. "Risk Watch" was created and introduced by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and it is designed so that it can be integrated into regular curriculum subjects in our school system or it can be used as a stand-alone teaching unit. This program is reminiscent of the famed and highly successful "Learn not to Burn" Program that NFPA introduced years ago.

For children ages 14 and under, the number-one health risk isn't drugs or disease: it's injuries. Each year, unintentional injuries kill more than 6,000 kids and permanently disable more than 120,000. In Canada, injuries are the leading cause of death for children over one year of age.

Every time a child is injured or killed by an unintentional injury, everyone suffers - the child, his or her family, classmates and friends, and the entire community. Sadly, the vast majority of these injuries are not random "accidents" - they are predictable and preventable. With education, motivation, and the support of caring adults, NFPA believes that children can learn to be much safer.

Risk Watch is the first comprehensive injury prevention program available for use in schools. Developed by NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) with co-funding from the Lowe's Home Safety Council and in collaboration with a panel of respected safety and injury prevention experts, Risk Watch gives children and their families the skills and knowledge they need to create safer homes and communities.

To learn more about Risk Watch, please visit http://www.nfpa.org/riskwatch/