Presenter Profile
Dominick Dunbar, BS, CPST
UMass Memorial Medical Center
dominick.dunbar@umassmemorial.org
Dominick Dunbar is a recent addition to the field of injury prevention as a graduate of Worcester State in 2022. He has been the Injury Prevention Education Specialist for UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA for just over a year, and serves as a Child Passenger Safety Technician. He is currently enrolled in a Master’s Public Health program at the University of New England. At UMass Memorial Medical Center he assists in running programs such as Safety Quest, Aging Gracefully, Stop the Bleed and more.
Presentations
Safety Quest- A Mobile Classroom Experience
Asia Simpson, BS, CPSTI
Dominick Dunbar, BS, CPST
Jonathan Green, MD, MSCI
Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children. These injuries represent a significant public health concern globally, often resulting in devastating consequences for children and their families. These injuries encompass a broad spectrum, including falls, burns, drowning, poisoning, bites, and motor vehicle collisions. Despite advancements in safety measures and injury prevention strategies, children continue to be vulnerable to these incidents due to their natural curiosity, and lack of awareness about potential hazards.
Our hospital partnered with a local insurance agency to create Safety Quest, a large RV with several games about safety including interactive media games geared toward 4th-5th grade students. This program emphasizes how children can be safe and responsible for themselves and others. Safety Quest comprises 4 games, each focusing on different aspects of safety. Home Hazard Hunt, Street Smarts, Fire Escape and Charades. Home Hazard Hunt walks the children through a home and playground and identifies the hazards that might be found throughout these environments. Street Smarts focuses on paying attention to surroundings while walking or biking in public and on sidewalks. Fire Escape teaches the students what to do in a fire emergency in their homes and simulates escaping a fire emergency in a home. Charades is an acting game all about safety. Students will engage in discussion about why certain everyday items may be important for them to learn more about. Participants are given pre and post surveys to evaluate comprehension, as well as improve the content.
In the 2023- 2024 school year, Safety Quest has visited approximately 40 schools and about 2,000 5th grade students have participated.
Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children. Safety Quest brings awareness and education to 4th and 5th grade students about fire safety, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, water safety, poison safety, home safety, and playground safety. Future directions are to analyze the pre and post survey responses in order to improve the content, as well as evaluate the comprehension of the participants.
1. Developing partnerships with insurance agencies
2. Methods of game development for injury prevention
3. The importance of collaboration with school systems