Minot Program Highlights For December

Following up on this community's Occupant Protection Outreach campaign, occupant protection information was distributed to area schools via the Key Club and DECA Club. "Buckle Up, It's The Law" signs were distributed to Menards, Skatium, North Hill Bowl and Arrowhead Mall. A total of 17 signs have been distributed throughout the community.

All local media has been assisting the campaign: the television station with two Noon Shows; all AM and FM radio stations with live liners, PSA's, 30 second ads and live remote broadcasts with various local businesses - including Alan Kurth Olds Nissan and Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers; newspaper coverage; and the campaign message on the Mayor's Broadway sign. Media is stressing high-visibility enforcement, as implied by the campaign message: "Buckle Up or Get Busted." This campaign targets child restraint usage and was kicked off by the Key Club with a pre-survey showing a usage rate of 60%.

A car seat checkup with assistance from First District Health Unit, the Minot Police Department and a Minot Chrysler Center employee was held at Dakota Square Mall in cooperation with Mugs-n-Hugs. 54 car seats were checked. An occupant protection booth was also set up. Key Club members wearing Buckle Bear, Vince and Larry, and McGufff costumes distributed occupant protection information and incentives. Clear Channel Communications led local media involvement.

The DECA Club conducted the "Buckle Up or Eat Glass" campaign at the Minot Central High School following NHTSA and Farm Safety 4 Just Kids guidelines. A pre-survey was completed and presentations using the "Diana's Last Message" video were given in the Driver's Ed classrooms. Incentives and recognition were given to students wearing safety belts.

Law Enforcement training was held at the Minot Police Department shift briefings and the Highway Patrol District Meeting. Wal-Mart will host a worksite safety belt campaign to begin close to Christmas.

The coordinator received an award and letter of commendation from the Governor for her efforts toward Occupant Protection. Congratulations Kristen! Following is her letter of nomination:

In the less-than-two years Kristen Partlow has been coordinator of the Mayor's Council for a Safe Community, great strides have been made in the Minot area to address and increase the use of safety belts. Kristen has developed excellent media associations in her community. She, or a coalition member, frequently appears on talk shows to support and encourage safety measures, and media is heavily involved with the coalition's efforts to bring about occupant protection awareness and enforcement of the safety belt use laws. The coalition was successful in acquiring a ,000 local grant to implement a community-wide occupant protection outreach campaign. That campaign is now in progress using incentives and massive media cooperation to send the message to the community. The campaign places a heavy emphasis on law enforcement training, enforcement of the laws, and collection of data to support continued safety belt campaigns. Kristen has been successful in acquiring tremendous community cooperation and effort for this project. Last year Kristen participated in a high school safety belt campaign in a small school outside Minot, and this year she is tackling the much larger Minot High School system. She has also coordinated a major worksite campaign, now in its early stages. Kristen began her duties as a coordinator for the Mayor's Council for a Safe Community in July 2000. The safety belt use rate at that time was 56.4%. The September 2001 community safety belt survey demonstrates an increase to 60.2%. This energetic and dedicated Safe Communities coordinator has been instrumental in helping her community and her coalition bring occupant protection to the forefront in Minot.