Why is this goal important?
Simply stated; nothing is more precious than life. In recent years the number of lives lost due to traffic and fire deaths in Minnesota is disconcerting.

Minnesota traffic fatalities have decreased since 2002 when 657 people died on our roadways. However, these numbers remain unacceptably high. In 2003, 655 died; in 2004, 567 died; in 2005, 559 died; and in 2006, 494 died. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for Minnesotans between the ages of four and thirty-four. The vast majority of traffic deaths are predictable and preventable; they are the result of impaired driving, driving too fast, not paying attention, and/or failing to use safety belts or child seats.

Fire fatalities in Minnesota have experienced a downward trend for the last several years. In 2002 fatalities from fire were 64 and in 2003 fire deaths were 46. In 2004, total fire fatalities had reduced to 42 and in 2005 they were reduced to 40; a record low per capita in recorded history. Fire deaths increased to 46 in 2006 however, the overall trend for the decade continues downward. Any loss of life is unacceptable when such a large number of fires are 100% preventable.

How can this goal be accomplished?
Changing the behavior of Minnesota residents is the key to reducing deaths caused by fires and traffic crashes. The Department conducts programs and campaigns to increase the public’s understanding of traffic and fire issues, the consequences of unsafe behaviors, and the knowledge of positive and simple steps they can take to be safe.

• Decrease traffic deaths- DPS works on several fronts to reduce the number of traffic fatalities. The Minnesota State Patrol, Office of Traffic Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services, the Office of Communication, and partners in government, business, and non-profit organizations all play a role in achieving the set goals. The strategies used include public education, media relations, enforcement of laws, and support of traffic safety programs conducted at the local level in cities and counties across the state. The support of data bases assist the agencies in identifying the specifics of the problem and evaluating the effectiveness of the programs employed. The department also partners with community coalitions, sheriffs’ offices and police departments, advisory boards, school districts, safety advocates’ organizations and networks, and other state and federal agencies with similar goals. Since 2001 these collaborative efforts have become known as Towards Zero Deaths (TZD) strategies.
   

• Decrease fire deaths- The State Fire Marshal (SFM) in DPS protects lives by fostering a fire safe environment through public education, regulation, investigation, and data collection. Through community fire safety education programs such as the Risk Watch Team Program and Minnesota Juvenile Fire-Setter Intervention Program, the SFM partners with schools, law enforcement, health associations, and the justice system to promote fire safety and safer communities. The SFM conducts inspections of hotels, motels, resorts, day care facilities, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, group homes, foster care facilities, correctional facilities, and other places of assembly. In addition, inspectors conduct site visits and provide consultation to fire officials, architects, engineers, contractors, building inspectors, government officials, building owners/operators, and the general public regarding specific fire and life safety problems or concerns. SFM assists local fire departments by performing arson investigations and collecting and analyzing data from incident reports through the Minnesota Fire Incident Reporting System (MFIRS). Comprehensive data collected from the MFIRS enables the SFM to identify the need to develop and implement new programs, or redirect existing programs as well as generate and support data that may justify the acquisition of additional resources. Information gathered via the MFIRS helps reduce the needless loss of life. The SFM indicates that currently 96% of all Minnesota fire departments are reporting into the MFIRS fire incident system, allowing the SFM to have a better understanding of the fire issues in Minnesota.
   

• Maintain zero death toll from utility line excavation- The DPS Office of Pipeline Safety (MNOPS) protects lives and the environment from gas and hazardous liquid accidents/incidents by educating citizens and inspecting all pipeline facilities in Minnesota. MNOPS conducts “dig safely” and other important educational seminars throughout the year to spread the message about the critical need to identify all underground utility lines prior to digging. Whether you are a homeowner planting a tree or an excavator constructing a road it is essential that underground utilities are appropriately marked. Since 1998, MNOPS has made 895 damage prevention presentations to 63,457 individuals. To date, no lives have been lost due to unmarked utilities.

What is the department’s progress to date?
After years of slow but steady increases, seat belt usage in Minnesota has reached a plateau. The percentage of Minnesotans using seat belts was 82% in the 2004 observational survey, 84% in 2005, and 83% in 2006. The OTS and MSP believe with continued emphasis on enforcement of our occupant protection laws and by increasing media attention and public information, seat belt use can rise again.
 
The State Fire Marshal’s (SFM) office collaborates with local communities to provide training, enabling the local departments to host effective community educational programs and provide media tools for imparting vital safety messages at various community gatherings.
 

Learn more at:
  Department of Public Safety home page
 www.dps.state.mn.us 

Why is this goal important?
The primary function of the Department of Public Safety is to protect the citizens we serve. The Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) Division of DPS is the lead agency for planning, preparing and responding to situations which endanger the security and safety of Minnesotans. The ability to coordinate efforts and resources has proven to be the most strategic approach to preventing, reducing, solving and responding to crime or disasters whether they are man-made or natural. HSEM maintains an aggressive anti-terrorism response and prevention plan built upon the cooperation of all levels of government. DPS strives to uphold the trust of the public, ensuring them that their safety and security is vital and that DPS will use all of it’s resources, partnerships, and services to achieve this goal. DPS will increase citizen awareness and preparedness for responding to an emergency situation. HSEM encourages citizen awareness by supporting The Minnesota Citizen Corps Council (MCCC), one of the first state-level Citizen Corps Councils in the nation. HSEM sponsors several other community awareness and preparedness campaigns and programs for Minnesota citizens. Severe Weather and Winter Hazard Awareness Weeks are two campaigns that HSEM presents with the cooperation of several other state agencies and the American Red Cross to encourage citizens to be aware of the changes in our weather and to plan ahead when necessary. HSEM produced and maintains an up to date planning guide for Minnesota schools in conjunction with the Dept. of Education to assist school districts in their comprehensive emergency plans which are required by law. Being prepared will save lives.

How can this goal be accomplished?

• Increase the capacity of state and local governments in preparing for and responding to all types of disasters. HSEM coordinates a statewide approach to plan, prepare and respond to disasters and terrorism. HSEM will continue to provide multiple training and exercise opportunities for state agencies and local jurisdictions each year. Minnesota’s local emergency responders will be encouraged to participate in Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Awareness Training. HSEM will also continue to identify the resources needed to efficiently and effectively respond by conducting gap analyses and prioritizing the funding received based on the identified gaps. HSEM continues to partner with state professional associations, the Minnesota State College and University System, and federal training partners for the delivery of WMD training. 
   

• Increase collaboration efforts to improve public safety communication and interoperability. Interoperability is the ability of a radio user from one agency to speak to a radio user of any other agency or municipality. Through The Department of Public Safety’s Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) program administrators will continue to alert state and local public safety first responders, legislators and the public about the critical need for communication interoperability in Minnesota. With funding being a major hurdle, DPS will continue to work to secure funds at the local, state and federal level for the build out of the system and will administer money as it becomes available for the completion of these projects in accordance with the project plan.

What is the department’s progress to date?
HSEM has implemented a  statewide homeland security strategy. Progress includes an update added in December 2006 that incorporates regional collaboration goals and stresses the sharing of regional resources. The Minnesota Citizens Corp Council will continue to conduct at least 2 educational presentations to communities each year which includes an HSEM-sponsored Citizens Corps Conference scheduled for September 2007. To help increase the capacity of local governments to respond to emergencies, HSEM will host a minimum of 30 Emergency Management training classes in 2007 to community leaders and local emergency managers.

In 2006, eight regional, multi-agency disaster response exercises were conducted. Currently 45% of emergency responders have been trained in WMD awareness.

All eighty seven counties have incorporated a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) response plan into their existing all hazard plan.

Collapsed Structure Rescue teams have been established and identified as Minneapolis Fire for the Heavy Rescue Team and Saint Paul Fire, Edina Fire, Rochester Fire, and Dakota County Special Operations as Medium Rescue Teams. All of the equipment needed for response is on hand for these teams. Each team continues to receive grant funding for training which is currently underway, and for the most part, has been completed for basic response. Additional grant funding will be focused at upgrading equipment as needed and for advanced-level training for command portions of the Collapsed Structure Rescue Teams. The Minneapolis Team was deployed to the explosion in Ramsey Minnesota on December 28, 2004 and utilized much of the equipment purchased under the program during the search and rescue operations.

The DPS ARMER Program will continue implementation of a statewide shared interoperable radio system throughout the state.

Project Status:
• The Metro Area Regional Backbone System (Phase 1) was funded in 1997, contracted for in 1999, and has been successfully operating since 2001.
• The Metro Area Local Subsystem Additions (Phase 2) have been progressing since the initial backbone deployment in 1999 and all seven counties of the metropolitan area will be operating on the ARMER system by the end of 2008.
• The Rochester and Saint Cloud Regional Backbone Systems (Phase 3) were funded in the 2005 legislative session and are currently under construction. Local Subsystem additions in Olmsted Co. / Rochester and Stearns Co. / St. Cloud are already in place and operating. The estimated completion for the Phase 3 backbone is mid 2008.
• The implementation of the ARMER system backbone in the remaining 55 counties the state was funded in 2007. Implementation will begin in 2008 following completion of the detail design work. Implementation in the remaining 55 counties of the state will occur over the next four years with completion anticipated by 2012.
 

Learn more at:
Department of Public Safety home page
 www.dps.state.mn.us 

Why is this goal important?
The Department of Public Safety plays an essential role in the support of federal, state and local criminal justice practitioners. DPS provides vital resources such as integrated criminal justice information, criminal history information, criminal investigative assistance and forensic science services. DPS provides and maintains accurate driver’s license and motor vehicle information for the legal and law enforcement communities.

How can this goal be accomplished?

• Provide vital assistance to the criminal justice community- The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) laboratory in DPS provides expert scientific coordination, forensic examination, state-of-the-art investigative techniques and sophisticated technology in the investigation of physical evidence for the entire criminal justice community in Minnesota. The BCA lab also collaborates with the FBI by submitting DNA offender profiles to the national database and with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) by submitting weapon cartridge case samples to the Integrated Ballistic Information Network. This is expertise that the vast majority of law enforcement agencies cannot locally support. The BCA investigative units partner with federal, state and local law enforcement to provide expertise in the felony investigation of violent crimes, drug trafficking and kidnappings. The BCA also maintains the Predatory Offender Registration system with 19,000 offenders.
   

• Provide essential electronic data to criminal justice partners- The Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) Division continues to improve its secured access to DVS data for business partners and law enforcement. This is achieved through availability of Web-based services. The quality of data will continue to be improved by reducing error rates, by developing and implementing anti-fraud policies and procedures, and by improving audit capabilities and communication tools. The BCA Criminal Justice Information Services division (CJIS) manages a statewide dedicated network and a series of justice information systems that provide the criminal justice community instant access to critical information relating to crimes and criminals. These systems include statewide criminal histories, information on wanted/missing persons, stolen guns, orders for protection, predatory offenders, gang members, vehicles, and property.
  
  CJIS also provides links to over 75,000 criminal justice agencies in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The CJIS Criminal Justice Data Network (CJDN) offers instantaneous access to data for law enforcement officers, dispatchers, courts, corrections officials, public defenders, county attorneys, DNR, and the Dept of Human Services as well as federal agencies in the network. The number of users on the CJDN is approximately 12,000. CriMNet is a BCA program to facilitate the integration of Minnesota’s criminal justice information systems. The overall scope of CriMNet is to develop a common set of business and technical standards for statewide information sharing and to foster the collaborative efforts of criminal justice agencies throughout the state. The CriMNet Program completed agency business and technical assessments in early 2006. A comprehensive framework or blueprint that outlines the priorities for statewide integration of criminal justice information was completed in December 2006 and was subsequently adopted by criminal justice stakeholders.

What is the department’s progress to date?
The BCA will be working to increase the number of crime lab cases completed in less than 30 days from the actual 61% in 2006 to 65% in 2007.

Fingerprint intake has grown by over 200% since 1997 due to the BCA’s efforts to promote the importance of submitting fingerprints and the deployment of electronic fingerprint capture devices referred to as Livescan. The BCA began receiving Livescan submissions in September 2000, during that first month 2,400 Livescan submissions were received. For calendar year 2005, Livescan submissions averaged over 11,900 per month, paper cards averaged 1,040 per month. In terms of all submissions, calendar year 2005 showed that 92% of all fingerprint cards received were submitted via Livescan devices.

In calendar year 2006, Livescan submissions averaged over 13,200 per month and paper cards (the old “ink and roll”) averaged 275 per month. In terms of all submissions, calendar year 2006 showed that 98% of all fingerprint cards received were submitted via Livescan devices.

In 2006, 64.2 % of conviction data that DVS received from the courts was transferred electronically. The goal is to increase that amount to 96% in FY 2007, and to 100% in FY 2008.
 

Learn more at:
Department of Public Safety home page
www.dps.state.mn.us   

Why is this goal important?
Enforcing the law is essential to providing a safe environment for Minnesotans. Whether citizens are at work, traveling, in their homes or enjoying leisure or sporting activities, it is their right to feel safe and secure. It is the responsibility of the Department of Public Safety to regulate and uphold laws that have been entrusted to us to enforce.

How can this goal be accomplished?

• Enforce Minnesota roadway laws- The Minnesota State Patrol’s (MSP) primary role will continue to be enforcement of laws regulating the use of the state’s highways with special emphasis on removing impaired drivers. MSP’s commercial vehicle enforcement mobile and fixed units enforce state and federal laws regulating the size, weight, load and operation of commercial vehicles traveling on the state and federal trunk highway system, ensuring safe motoring for all vehicles on Minnesota roadways. Specialized school bus inspectors perform annual and random inspections of school buses to enforce compliance of safety equipment regulations, vehicle mechanical conditions and driver documentation. MSP enforcement efforts resulted in 325,971 driver/vehicle contacts and 7,036 DWI arrests in 2005.
   

• Enforce Minnesota utility identification regulations and fire codes- Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (MNOPS) promotes incident prevention by enforcing the Gopher State One-Call law (Minn. Statute §216 D) requiring excavators to call before they dig and utility operators to mark their facilities to prevent utility line exposure, hazardous gas or liquid leaks that could lead to a catastrophic incident. MNOPS works cooperatively with the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. DOT/OPS and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on enforcement objectives and the investigation of incidents. MNOPS inspectors issued over 6,049 citations for violations of state and federal safety codes between 1994 and 2006. Through building fire safety inspections the State Fire Marshal (SFM) enforces compliance of Minnesota Fire Codes regarding safety necessities such as fire escapes, emergency exits, flammable materials, lighting, sprinklers, and alarms in residential dwellings as well as businesses or commercial buildings. The SFM regulates the fire sprinkler protection industry through licensing and/or certification of contractors and sprinkler fitters, ensuring that contractors and designers of automatic fire protection systems are complying with state regulations and correctly designing sprinkler systems.
   

• Enforce Minnesota Alcohol and Gambling statutes- The DPS Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division (AGE) maintains the integrity of legalized gambling, detects and vigorously pursues illegal forms of gambling, enforces the state's liquor laws, and monitors the State/Tribal gaming compacts. By conducting underage compliance checks and applying several enforcement techniques, the Alcohol Enforcement Division can prevent liquor establishments from selling to minors and can arrest adult violators for providing alcohol to juveniles. Alcohol investigators conduct criminal investigations of alcohol-related complaints regarding unlicensed sale, importation, manufacture of alcoholic beverages, unregistered product introduction into the state, and contamination. AGE collaborates with local law enforcement and prosecutors to take legal action against those involved in unlawful gaming or illegal alcohol practices.

What is the department’s progress to date?
Over the past few years, the number of traffic fatalities and the percentage of them that are alcohol-related have fluctuated. There were 568 traffic deaths in Minnesota in 2001, 37% were alcohol related. In 2002, 657 and in 2003, 655; (36 and 39% respectively were alcohol related). Calendar year 2004 fatalities were 567, with 31% being alcohol related.

Eighty-five percent of crash reports are currently complied and audited for 2005, they indicate that of the 559 deaths, 35.24% were alcohol related.
       
Through the “Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws” (EUDL) grant, AGE is able to fund local police and sheriffs for conducting compliance checks alternative enforcement techniques to reduce Minnesota youth’s access to alcohol. In 2005, 2,376 underage compliance checks were conducted in 60 municipalities with a 90% compliance rate. In 2005, 859 arrests were also made utilizing alternative underage alcohol enforcement techniques. AGED underage alcohol liaison conducted training and informational seminars for 2,000 individuals at 70 locations in 2005.

The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety reports that 757,293 contacts were made to Gopher State One Call for utility identification requests in 2006. It is anticipated that the number of homeowner tickets will continue to rise with the creation of the three digit dialing number, 811. 811, a federally-mandated national "Call Before You Dig" number, was established on May 1, 2007 to help protect citizens from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects.
 

Learn more at:
Department of Public Safety home page
 www.dps.state.mn.us 
CrimNet home page
 http://www.crimnet.state.mn.us/
Driver and Vehicle Services home page
http://www.mndriveinfo.org

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