About Injury Prevention
The Injury Prevention Program is one of the Comanche Nation Tribal Government’s oldest programs, first emerging with CHR/EMS many years ago and becoming a standalone program more recently. Overseen by some but mainly by Bonita Paddyaker for many, many years as the Program Director, Injury Prevention focuses on the overall goal for which it was created – the prevention of injuries. Whether that pertains to employee safety, workplace safety, or community safety, Injury Prevention is there to ensure all Comanche tribal members are safe and secure in the community. Injury Prevention covers most safety-related protocols and processes by providing community outreach, educational information, and client services.
Injury Prevention offers client services such as car seat distribution, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and home fans for Comanche tribal members, when available. Bike helmets are provided during children's events or public events and are free to the public for distribution, when available. Other services are aimed toward tribal elders, such as Elder Workshops, and aimed toward tribal youth, such as the Annual Pre-Prom Car Crash Simulator. Emergencies are handled on a case-by-case basis.
The program employs two Injury Prevention Technicians certified in CPR/First Aid and certified in Oklahoma’s Child Passenger Safety Law. Due to this certification, car seat distribution follows Oklahoma's Child Restraint Law (O.O. 47-11-1112), effective November 1, 2015, which states:
- 0-2 years: Must be in a rear-facing seat until at least 2 years of age, or until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the car seat.
- 2-4 years: Must be in a car seat with a harness until at least 4 years of age.
- 4-8 years: Must be in a car seat or booster seat until at least 8 years of age, unless the child is taller than 4'9".
- All children younger than 13 years old should ride in the back seat.
Occupant Protection Classes will be offered soon, but at a later date and location. Once determined, classes will be offered by appointment and for emergency needs in the office. It is vital that the parent(s) AND child be present when applying for this service.
Other community outreach efforts include the Comanche Nation Fair and other programmatic/departmental events, where safety and injury prevention methods and practices can be informative, learned, or taught.
This program follows the Injury Prevention CNG Guidelines, as established by Resolution No. 171-2024, for all client services.
