Southern Plains TTAP Center wins Trendsetter Award

Friday, October 23, 2015

The National Safety Council (NSC) recognized the Southern Plains Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) Center at Oklahoma State University with a Trendsetter Award for “outstanding training efforts in 2014” at its 2015 NSC Congress and Exposition in Atlanta Georgia, on September 26, 2015. The award was presented at the Annual Driver Safety Course Training Center & Instructor of the Year Awards Banquet.

“This was a special honor to have our center recognized in this way, “ stated Karla Sisco, TTAP Manager. “We are privileged to have the opportunity to reach out to the tribes in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, as well as to local and state officials in Oklahoma, with this vital safety training.”

NSC recognized 136 organizations and 21 individuals for their commitment and achievements in making roadways safer across the country.

“We are all part of an ever-changing climate in technology and transportation that is influencing the safety of our roadway users in new ways,” continued Sisco. “These courses make a difference and save lives among tribal and local jurisdictions, workplaces, and geographic regions.”

The TTAP is an NSC member and regularly conducts defensive driver training. Since incorporating Defensive Driver Courses (DDC) into the TTAP curriculum in late 2013, the center has conducted 26 DDC sessions, with a total of 517 participants receiving DDC certificates.

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in western Oklahoma have hosted nine DDC trainings for tribal members since late 2013. “With the emphasis on Defensive Driving classes, our purpose was really threefold,” stated Angela Blind, Cheyenne and Arapaho Transportation Director, Concho, Oklahoma. “1) We wanted to allow Tribal members to realize a cost savings on their personal car insurance. 2) We sought to provide the ability for Tribal members to earn a point reduction on their driver’s license, if they needed that, and 3) We hoped to provide more awareness of safe driving habits.”

Wilma Tapaha, Cheyenne and Arapaho Transit Coordinator said, “I feel that the training benefits all by improving safety for everyone on the road. Also, it benefits us with insurance savings, being more alert and responsible drivers, and it also inspires us to maintain good driving skills, no matter what age.”

The TTAP recently added NSC’s Alive at 25 course to their class offerings.
Alive at 25 is a 4½ hour driver's awareness course for young drivers ages 15-24, which includes a defensive driving classroom curriculum, as well as decision-making and responsibility-taking tools. The course, instructed by TTAP’s Tribal Safety Circuit Rider, Tabatha Harris, is intended to help students gain awareness and develop strategies to keep safe on the road.

The Southern Plains TTAP Center is an outreach and extension program of the Center for Local Government Technology, College of Engineering Architecture and Technology at Oklahoma State University. More information on the center, its mission, and its training can be found at http://ttap.okstate.edu.