McGruff Truck Program
JCW is proud to be a part of the McGruff Truck program!
- What is McGruff Truck?
- Who can be a McGruff Truck crew member?
- What does a McGruff Truck driver do?
- How does someone get help from a McGruff Truck?
- Who can operate a McGruff Truck Program?
- Why McGruff Truck?
- What are the benefits?
- Working with the McGruff Campaign
- Market and Survey Research
1. What is the McGruff Truck Program?
Making neighborhoods safer for children is the goal of the McGruff Truck Program . It provides a way for utility companies to offer help in emergency situations to anyone, especially young people. A McGruff Truck is easy to recognize by the image of McGruff, the well-known Crime Dog, on strategically placed decals that identify the utility vehicle a place children and others can turn to for help.
The message of the McGruff Truck Program is, "We'll Call for Help." The crew is trained to provide assistance by calling for appropriate help when flagged down by a child or individual in distress. There must be immediate direct access to two-way communication.
A McGruff Truck is easy to spot. Decals of the McGruff Truck symbol are placed on the front and rear sections of the utility vehicle. The identifies utility service vehicles and their drivers as sources for help when someone is in trouble. When a McGruff Truck is seen in the community, citizens know that the people in it will provide help to anyone, especially children.
2. Who can be a McGruff Truck crew member?
Participating utility companies agree to place in those vehicles identified as McGruff Truck, only those employees who meet the company's most stringent standard for potentially sensitive contacts with the public. In addition, all McGruff Truck crew members receive training in appropriate ways to provide assistance. That training renewed annually.
3. What does a McGruff Truck Driver do?
When a child flags down a McGruff Truck driver for help, the driver will:
- Stop, go to the child;
- Find out what the problem is;
- Call the company's dispatcher or the appropriate public-safety agency and
- Describe the situation, location, and condition of the child,
- Describe any vehicles involved,
- Identity the type of help needed,
- Stay with the child until help arrives, and
- Complete and file a McGruff Truck incident report.
A McGruff Truck driver does not:
- Administer first aid except in extreme emergencies and if otherwise qualified;
- Administer medicines of any kind;
- Provide transportation or place the child in the truck;
- Act as a peacekeeper or law enforcement officer;
- Make guarantees for the child's safety or
- Approach a child unless he/she clearly is in trouble.
4. How does someone get help from a McGruff Truck?
Children are trained to wave both arms above their heads to indicate that help is needed. If they simply want to wave "hello" to a McGruff Truck driver, they are instructed to hold one hand behind their back and wave with the other. In this way, a casual wave is not mistaken for a request for help.
5. Who can operate a McGruff Truck Program?
Only a publicly owned, publicly regulated franchised, or government regulated utility company whose vehicles are identified by the company's logo and have immediate direct access to two-way communication (e.g, cellular phone, two-way radio) can be considered as a possible participant in the McGruff Truck Program.
Participating in the McGruff Truck Program offers both a valuable public service and an opportunity to build good will in the community. To protect these assets, the National McGruff House Network screens each company that applies to participate in the program and requires endorsement letters from agencies familiar with the company's reputation in the community.
McGruff Truck participant companies are required to operate the program in accordance with the established standard requirements promulgated by the National McGruff House Network. (NMHN)
First, McGruff, the Crime Dog. The Truck displays a symbol--McGruff, the trench-coated spokesdog for crime prevention--recognized by 99% of America's children because they've seen him on television or in print, or because he has visited their school. One in five U.S. families move yearly, so using a symbol recognized nationwide makes sense.
Second, the McGruff Truck Program as built-in safeguards. While it is impossible to guarantee the safety of children in any program, reasonable precautions have been taken in designing the McGruff Truck Program.
The program's standard requirements assist in implementing and maintaining a consistently well-structured program. For example, the distribution of McGruff Truck decals is strictly controlled. A numbered decal is placed on a company vehicle only after the view of the truck has been properly trained in program procedures.
Third, McGruff Truck is a company operated program. It is a service provided by the company for the well-being of children and represents a cooperative effort between the company, law enforcement, and schools or school systems in the service area. The program can and should be tailored to local needs and conditions.
Fourth, McGruff Truck is a nationwide program that represents a partnership between utility companies and a national organization. This partnership enables the company to benefit from the credibility and visibility of the national effort to join with other utility companies in implementing a program with consistent standards, guidelines, and safeguards.
Participation in the McGruff Truck Program is an investment in safeguarding children--the key to our communities' and nations' futures. It enhances and contributes to the community's efforts to prevent crime and provide a safer more caring environment for all its residents.
It is difficult to directly measure the impact of public relations and community service programs on a company's bottom line. Having a reputation for contribution in a variety of ways to the communities it serves, benefits a company in several ways:
- Many utility companies want to contribute to the communities they serve in other than just providing utility service. They feel a sense of responsibility to the communities' well-being. The McGruff Truck Program offers a way to formalize and strengthen a service many already provide for their communities.
- Participation in the McGruff Truck Program can help maintain employee morale and work attitude through constructive interaction with the community. Customers will feel more satisfied about their relationship with the company.
- The McGruff Truck Program requires education and promotion to create awareness of the service it provides. As participation companies become associated with McGruff, his visibility and popularity enhance the visibility of the company as a concerned, committed community member.
8. Working With the McGruff Campaign
In 1979, many Americans thought they could do little about crime. Most viewed crime as inevitable and its prevention as the job of the police. Today, more than three out of four Americans believe they personally can take actions to reduce crime, and their neighborhoods and communities can act to prevent crime.
A major force behind this shift to a more positive attitude is the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign (McGruff Campaign), a coordinated effort to prevent crime and build safer, better communities.
The campaign is symbolized by McGruff, the Crime Dog, and the "Take A Bite Out of Crime" slogan. Since 1980, McGruff has been educating and exhorting American through such avenues as public service advertising, educational films and videos, brochures, posters, booklets, and personal appearance.
9. Market and survey research reveals:
- 99% of children ages six to twelve recognize McGruff.
- An astonishing 97% of children ages sit to twelve said that they would try to do what McGruff tells them.
- Seven out of ten adults know him.
- Nine out of ten teens and seven out of ten adults who know McGruff believe he is effective in communicating crime prevention information and trust him as a source of crime prevention information.
- Nine out of ten community crime prevention professionals report that McGruff helps them do their jobs more effectively.
Over the years, thanks to the efforts of law enforcement and local crime prevention practitioners, McGruff has appeared at a multitude of events across the country. He's been to schools, hospitals, shopping malls, rodeos, fairs, and parades. His image appears on T-shirts, mugs, stickers, football cards, caps, billboards, and more. But everywhere, his message--that responsible action, both by individuals and by groups, can "Take A Bite Out of Crime" --and his advice on how to do so are the keys to his effectiveness.
McGruff has appeared in Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, Weekly Reader, Parade, Mini-page, The New York Times, U.S. News and Work Report, McCall's, Time and Smithsonian, to name just a few national publications.
McGruff is extremely popular and versatile, but never forgets his prime mission--enabling people and communities to prevent crime and improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, friends, and neighbors.
The McGruff Campaign's day-to-day operations are conducted by the National Crime Prevention Council, which owns all rights to the image, character, and slogans. The campaign is substantially funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.