The Safety Resource Center is a partnership between IFCK—Cincinnati, Safe Kids of Greater Cincinnati and CCHMC. These organizations united to provide affordable safety items to at-risk children and their families, while also educating and counseling them on proper use of the item, efficient safety practices and answers to all questions concerning safety.
The safety items are for sale at a price slightly above cost. This low price provides access to safety product to those in need, while also contributing to the maintenance and sustainability of the Safety Resource Center.
Educational materials are also available, and an injury prevention specialist staffs the center to provide extensive injury prevention counseling. Topics addressed include car safety, home safety, bicycle safety, fire safety, pedestrian safety, playground safety, poisonings, recreational safety and water safety. Brochures, fact sheets, coloring books and bookmarks are among the multiple forms of educational materials that are available.
With every purchase, the family receives product-appropriate educational materials as well as further counseling from the specialist. Families who are not interested in purchasing items are also eligible to receive safety education, answers to questions and complimentary education literature. In order to assess the effectiveness of the Safety Resource Center and its efficiency in customer services, the Center’s staff tracks the number of sales and details about each individual who purchases an item. The staff member also documents questions asked, education provided as well as phone messages left on the Center’s voicemail, outside of operating hours. This information is documented to follow the numbers and trends of the Center’s sales as well as customer satisfaction and possible improvements to maximize the efficiency of the Safety Resource Center.
The Safety Resource Center has shown substantial success. Within the first 2 years of operation, the Safety Resource Center provided nearly 1,100 safety products to families and children within the Emergency Department and local community. Between 2005 and 2007, the SRC served approximately 13,000 families. 786 families purchased 816 products and the specialist gave away an additional 473 safety products, creating a total of 1,289 items provided to families.