Plano, Texas has been named a Risk Watch Safe Community by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a nonprofit safety organization that has been protecting the public from fire and other hazards for more than 100 years. With its official designation, Plano joins a select number of cities and towns across North America and Canada that are dedicated to keeping kids safe from unintentional injury.

According to NFPA, unintentional injuries including traffic crashes, drownings, fires, burns, choking, poisonings and falls kill more kill more than 5,500 kids and permanently disable more than 92,000. In Canada, injuries are the leading cause of death for children over one year of age.

Every time a child is injured or killed by an unintentional injury, everyone suffers — the child, his or her family, classmates and friends, and the entire community. Sadly, the vast majority of these injuries are not random “accidents” — they are predictable and preventable. With education, motivation, and the support of caring adults, children can learn to be much safer.By joining the Risk Watch Safe Communities program,

Plano has made a commitment to teach area children and their families about injury prevention. While the program draws on NFPA’s Risk Watch curricula, the first comprehensive injury prevention program designed for use in classrooms, safety advocates will be reaching out to kids outside of the classroom — through their church groups, Boy and Girl Scout troops, daycare centers, local libraries and other youth serving organizations.

“ This is a way for us to teach kids essential safety lessons when they are outside of the classroom,” explains Peggy Harrell, Fire Safety Education Coordinator. “As a Risk Watch Safe Community, we can take safety lessons to the kids, where ever they are, and help keep them safe from preventable injuries.