The National Safety Council (NSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the United States. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressional charter in 1953. Members include more than 55,000 businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals. The group focuses on areas where the greatest number of preventable injuries and deaths occur, including workplace safety, prescription medication abuse, teen driving, cell phone use while driving and safety in homes and communities. History In 1912, the first Cooperative Safety Congress was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The event was sponsored by the Association of Iron and Steel Electrical Engineers (a predecessor of the Association for Iron and Steel Technology). The approximately 200 attendees, representing industry and government, resolved to “organize and create a permanent body for the promotion of the safety to human life in the industries of the United States. At the Second Safety Congress in 1913, the National Council for Industrial Safety was established. It was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and Robert W. Campbell served as first president and William H. Cameron served as secretary. The name was changed to National Safety Council in 1914, to reflect the organization's expanded scope to include traffic and home safety. As membership increased, the NSC began producing posters, technical fact sheets, and other publications. In 1953, the U.S. Congress and President Dwight D. Eisenhower recognized the importance of the NSC’s efforts with a Congressional charter to: “...arouse and maintain the interest of the people of the United States... in safety and in accident prevention, and to encourage the adoption and institution of safety methods by all persons, corporations, and other organizations." Services Traffic safety: Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States. NSC works with public and private groups to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the road. Defensive driving: the National Safety Council has offered defensive driving courses since 1964 with the first approved courses in New Jersey and New York. First aid: NSC offers first aid training courses for safety, compliance and wellness. Classroom programs are available, as well as online training. The group is a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizen Corps, a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to raising awareness about the need for preparedness. Since the NSC's