Williams County – Peg Buda, Williams County Safe Communities Coordinator announced that the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s (ODPS) Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) awarded $25, 000 in federal traffic safety funding to Williams County Health Department for federal fiscal year 2014. On September 26, 2013, Sergeant Michael McClain, Ohio State Patrol from the Defiance Post, delivered the award letter to the Williams County Health Department.
Competitive grant proposals are accepted and reviewed by OTSO. The FFY 2014 competitive grant process solicited grant proposals from state agencies, non-profit organizations, colleges, universities, hospitals, political subdivisions and other interested groups within selected Ohio counties and jurisdictions (based upon the number of fatal crashes). The funds are then passed through OTSO from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to support the efforts of safety partners statewide and focus on traffic safety priorities such as restraint use, impaired driving, motorcycle safety and youthful drivers.
Safe Communities will promote increased public awareness through education about alcohol impairment, motorcycle safety awareness and traffic safety messaging. These grant funds will be further utilized through planned efforts working with our local high schools for increased seat belt usage, distracted driving awareness and Mock Crash event coordination.
The Williams County Safe Communities mission is to help save lives and reduce injuries on our roadways through leadership and partnering efforts with other public safety agencies and community members. Williams County Safe Communities will continue to partner with local law enforcement, county agencies and community members through educational and awareness events. “Partnerships are critical to the success of any safety effort and we are committed to working with safety partners to address traffic safety concerns in Williams County,” said Peg Buda, Williams County Safe Communities Coordinator.
For more information about OTSO and statewide efforts to improve safety on Ohio’s roadways, log http://ohiohighwaysafetyoffice.ohio.gov/index.stm
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