Community Safety
Community safety is a cornerstone of overall health. When environments are safe, people can flourish, injuries and violence decline, and communities grow stronger and more resilient. Promoting safety and well-being calls for a broad approach—one that brings together local agencies, community organizations, and other partners to implement proven strategies that foster equity and health across all groups. Social, economic, and environmental factors shape many health outcomes at once, and tackling shared risks and protective factors is essential.
Goal
By 2029, reduce firearm-related death rate from the baseline of 14.3 deaths per 100,000 people to below the HP2030 target of 11.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
Strategies
Develop and disseminate firearm injury data products (e.g., firearm injuries/firearm-related deaths dashboards, firearm injuries data brief, etc.).
Establish health care provider education to improve coding of intent for emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
Complete one evaluation framework and logic model pertaining to firearm injury prevention strategies, using CDC program evaluation methodologies and best practices.
Strategies
Create two program roadmaps (unintentional and intentional) to address preventing firearm-related deaths.
Conduct an inventory of all firearm-related safe storage/injury prevention legislation and compile legislative content into a web-based based tool to be utilized to inform injury prevention practices.
Promote the dissemination of safe storage education through a variety of communication channels, media outlets, and partnerships.
Implement American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC core elements recommendations to achieve measurable improvements in pediatric health care provider screening, assessment, and referral for firearm injury risk, in partnership with health care provider associations.
Establish a Virginia Safe Storage map to help community members locate firearm storage resources statewide.