Typically, when communities look at their injury data, they discover that motor vehicle injuries are a major issue for their community. This is important because citizens ensure that local values and attitudes are considered during the process of identifying the injury problems and shaping successful solutions. A coalition of concerned citizens and community organizations provides the means for gaining local support for the program and for making sure that the Safe Community program continues to be a community-based effort. Focus groups can be used to assess community feelings about a topic or project. Town meetings and community forums can be used to solicit input and feedback from local leaders and the general citizenry.
Partnerships allow communities to develop collaborative strategies and share resources.
Partnerships spread program ownership throughout the community and increase the opportunities for reaching target populations. Potential partners include law enforcement personnel, public safety officials, public health departments, civic and advocacy groups, health care providers, emergency medical services, firefighters, employers, media representatives, businesses, schools, courts, transportation engineers, local government and concerned citizens. People who work in prevention focus on reducing and preventing the leading causes of injury in a community. People who work in acute care provide the medical care necessary to save a person's life. Acute care providers include the first responder at a crash scene, emergency room personnel, the surgeon who operates on a trauma patient, as well as the nurse who assesses the patient and provides bedside care.