Home Safety Month on the Hill

As part of our June Hands on Home Safety campaign, the Home Safety Council reached out to Members of Congress to ask for their support of by educating their constituents about home safety through linking to the Home Safety Month web site; issuing a Congressional Record statement; or writing a column in their local paper.

In addition, the HSC sponsored a Capitol Hill lunch briefing for Senate staffers on June 8th to discuss important tips to help them be safer in and around their homes. This event was hosted by the Senate Office on Health and Education and more than 50 Senate staffers attended the luncheon.

We were pleased that our outreach resulted in a number of Members taking specific steps to educate their constituents on how to prevent home injuries and deaths.

Highlights include:

Representatives John Tanner (TN) and Shelley Moore-Capito (WV), and Senator Tom Harkin (IA), wrote the following Home Safety Month columns for their local papers:

• Representative John Tanner (TN)
• Representative Shelley Moore Capito (WV)
• Senator Tom Harkin (IA)

Home Safety Month webstickers were posted on two Congressional websites: Senator Mark Dayton (MN) and Representative Jim Matheson (UT). Representative Matheson (UT) also included home safety tips for his constituents in his June Newsletter.

• Read the Home Safety Month tips in Representative Jim Matheson’s (UT) monthly constituent newsletter.

Representatives Charles Dent (PA) and Kendrick Meek (FL) signed on to a Dear Colleague letter that was circulated to all Members in the House of Representatives.

• Read the Dear Colleague letter from Representatives Charles Dent (PA) and Kendrick Meek (FL) that was circulated in the House of Representatives

Roll Call published an article on June 8 regarding the Home Safety Council’s Home Safety Month activities, our public policy agenda and the Senate-side briefing that took place that day.

• Read the article published in Roll Call about the Home Safety Council

HSC concluded Home Safety Month with the first annual Salute to Home Safety Excellence Awards Dinner where Senator Arlen Specter (PA) and Representative Rob Andrews (NJ) were each awarded the inaugural Congressional Leadership Award for their work to address education, health and safety, and national preparedness issues.

• Senator Specter was recognized for his exceptional leadership in support of home injury prevention activities and The Great Safety Adventure, a program to educate elementary school children about the prevention of fires and other home hazards.
• Representative Andrews was honored for his support of Home Safety Month and The Great Safety Adventure, as well as his efforts to increase support for the fire service and home safety programs among members of Congress.