Itasca vying for safety honor
They've already taught female students and residents to "Fight Like a Girl" in Itasca.
And village senior citizens have a safe place to drop off old and unwanted medications.
Next week, however, Itasca officials hope to prove exactly how safety-conscious their village is by earning certification as an International Safe Community. If they succeed, Itasca will become the first municipality in Illinois to win the honor and the fifth in the nation, officials said.
Mayor Claudia "Gigi" Gruber said people throughout the village are excited to show off their efforts.
"Everyone thinks about how we're small and we don't have the resources other communities have, but we pack a big punch," she said.
Members of the National Safety Council and other groups falling under the umbrella of the World Health Organization will visit Itasca Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 9 and 10, to check out all the programs the village offers that prevent injury and promote safety. Their visit is the second step in the certification process, following a written application village officials submitted last fall.
"This is not just a police or village effort, but a communitywide initiative that involves every stakeholder in the community," Itasca police Chief Scott Heher said. "Safety is the responsibility of every citizen and that is truly the essence of this process."
When safety council officials visit Itasca, they will look at some of the village's main programs, including its "Fight Like a Girl" self-defense class; senior citizens home safety inspections that aim to eliminate trips and falls and ensure homes have functioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; installation of defibrillators in village buildings; and public-private partnerships such as its Community Emergency Response Team.
If Itasca earns the Safe Community honor, Heher said it will open doors for even more opportunities to improve the village by collaborating with other designated municipalities.
"This will allow us to learn the very, very best practices on keeping our community safe," he said.
For more details, visit safecommunitiesamerica.org.