Injury and Violence Prevention

Why is preventing injuries and violence important?

Unintentional injuries and acts of violence are the leading cause of death for children and young people in El Paso County and across the United States. Preventing these tragedies can not only save lives but also improve the quality of life and long-term health of our citizens. El Paso County Public Health is committed to keeping our citizens safe from preventable injuries and acts of violence through a variety of community-based initiatives.

How can you keep yourself, your loved ones and our community safe?

El Paso County Pubic Health’s Injury and Violence Prevention program is involved in a variety of initiatives.

Infant Sleep Safety

Creating a safe sleep environment

SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and other sleep-related deaths claim the lives of thousands of babies in America each year. The good news is, most of these deaths are preventable. You can take simple steps to reduce danger in your infant’s sleeping environment.

Creating a safe sleep environment

Resources for free cribs and Pack ‘n’ Plays

Peak Vista First Visitor

Safe Storage

Safely storing hazardous items

Keep hazardous items such as firearms, prescription medications and substances, like alcohol or drugs, securely stored in a location that is inaccessible to children. Simply putting these items out of sight is not enough to prevent harm. To safely store hazards in the home:

  • Items should be stored in a locked cabinet, safe, vault or storage case in a location that is inaccessible to children
    • Consider changing locations as your child gets older and may have more access to this area
    • Ensure children never know the code or where the key is stored

Helmet Safety

Remember to wear a helmet and fit it properly

Helmets work best when they are adjusted to fit your head perfectly! Get the safest fit by following the “Three 2s”:

  • The ridge of your helmet should be a two-finger width from your eyebrow
  • Make a V with two fingers and ensure the straps around your ear fit snuggly in that shape
  • Buckle your chin strap and tighten it until you can fit two fingers between the strap and your chin while your tongue is sticking out

Young Driver Safety

Training helps teen drivers

Starting to drive is a wonderful milestone for your teen and you can make that experience even more positive by encouraging safe driving behaviors. The No. 1 cause of teen crashes is driver inexperience, which is a factor that is hard to control, making it even more important for young drivers to not take any other risks on the road.

  • Traffic Safety Programs for Schools and Youth-Serving Organizations

    Our community partners offer a variety of comprehensive traffic safety education programs designed for schools and youth-serving organizations to implement with assistance from their staff. If you are interested, please reach out to these contacts:

Child Passenger and Car Seat Safety

Colorado Car Seat Requirements

Child Age/Size Statutory Requirement
Less than 1 year and weighing less than 20 pounds Properly secured in a rear-facing car seat in a back seat of the vehicle
1-4 years and weighing 20-40 pounds Properly secured in a rear-facing or forward-facing car seat
Children up to 8 years Properly secured in a child restraint system, such as booster seat, according to the manufacturer’s instructions
8-15 years Properly restrained in a seat belt or child restraint system according to manufacturer’s instructions

Source: Sections 42-4-236 and 42-4-237, C.R.S.

Local Free Car Seat Inspection Stations

One way to know if your carseat is safe is to have it inspected.

Appointments at Colorado Springs Police Department Stations
Appointments at Other El Paso County Organizations

Resources for Free Car Seats

Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments has a limited amount of car seats available for free to low-income families in El Paso County. If you need a free car seat for your child, please contact tiaquinta@ppacg.org.

Violence Prevention

Violence Prevention for Schools and Youth-Serving Organizations

Creating a community free of violence starts with establishing a foundation of empowerment among our young people. If you are a school professional or youth-serving organization interested in having a tailored presentation about violence prevention for youth, please contact TESSA’s Youth Education & Outreach Advocates via this form: https://www.tessacs.org/youth-childrens-presentation-forms/

Local Domestic Violence Resources

For All Survivors:

TESSA
Kingdom Builders Family Life Center

For Native American and Indigenous Survivors:

Haseya Advocate Program

What are we doing to keep the community safe?

El Paso County Pubic Health’s Injury and Violence Prevention program is involved in a variety of initiatives.

Impaired Driving Prevention

About the Funding

El Paso County Public Health was awarded the Community-Based Impaired Driving Prevention Grant from Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in 2023. This five-year grant provides is funded by fines paid by impaired drivers to the Colorado Persistent Drunk Driving (PDD) Cash Fund. To learn more about this funding visit:

Persistent Drunk Driving and Law Enforcement Assistance Funds

Data Sharing

An important aspect of spreading awareness about the issue of impaired driving in our community is sharing the data that informs prevention strategies. This includes impaired driving crashes, fatalities and injuries, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests, and self-reported impaired driving among youth. Data is shared through a variety of interactive formats throughout the community. If you would like to request impaired driving data from El Paso County, please see the contact information below.

Community Outreach and Education

Impaired driving prevention includes connecting directly with citizens at community events, where we provide education and safe driving tips. If you are interested in having an impaired driving prevention booth at your community event, please see the contact information below.

Emma Bernick
Public Health Planner
Injury & Violence Prevention
emmabernick@elpasoco.com
(719) 640-2612

Child Fatality Review Team

About the Team

The El Paso County Child Fatality Review Team works to save lives in our community by reviewing the death of anyone under the age of 18 in El Paso County. The goal is to understand if the death could have been avoided and identify strategies to prevent other children from being harmed under those circumstances. The review team is facilitated by El Paso County Public Health and maintained in partnership with the El Paso County Coroner’s Office. Review team members represent a variety of county leadership and community partners.

Child Fatality Data Dashboard

To learn more about the child fatality trends and data in El Paso County and across Colorado, please visit the Colorado Child Fatality Data Dashboard.

Colorado Child Fatality Data Dashboard

Review Team Members Include:

  • Children’s Hospital Colorado
  • Colorado Springs Police Department
  • El Paso County Attorney’s Office
  • El Paso County Coroner’s Office
  • El Paso County Department of Human Services
  • El Paso County Public Health
  • El Paso County Sheriff’s Office
  • Fort Carson Family Advocacy Program
  • Fountain Police Department
  • 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office
  • School Districts:
  • Harrison School District 2,
  • Widefield School District 3
  • Fountain– Fort Carson School District 8
  • Colorado Springs School District 11
  • Cheyenne Mountain School District 12
  • Academy School District 20
  • Falcon School District 49