Fire Prevention > Unintentional Injuries

• Keep cleaning fluids, aerosols, and other hazardous materials out of the reach of toddlers and children. Have the Poison Control Center phone number posted next to your telephone in case of an emergency. (1-800-222-1222)
• If there are small children or toddlers in the home, keep all electrical cords, rope, and even the strings off blinds out of reach to prevent a possible strangulation.
  • Choking occurs when food or small objects block the airway. This prevents oxygen from getting to the lungs and the brain. Young children are at risk from choking on small, round foods such as hot dogs, candies, nuts, grapes, marshmallows and popcorn.
  • Children should avoid wearing drawstrings or necklaces on the playground. Clothing, scarves, mittens, jacket strings and jacket hoods can get caught in narrow gaps, openings or holes on slides, vertical posts, and on open connecting links such as "S" hooks.
• A helmet should be worn every time you ride a bike, scooter, skateboard or in-line skate. It is also important to wear the appropriate helmet when skiing or snowboarding. Parents – be a leader and show them you wear one too!
• Use the following guidelines for purchasing and correctly wearing a helmet:
  • The helmet should fit comfortably and not be able to move when you jerk your head from side to side.
  • It should sit parallel to the ground, not tilted back, with about an inch (two fingers) between your eyebrows and the lower edge of the helmet.
  • Make sure the helmet straps are always buckled. The straps should fit snugly, but not too tightly. The sliding clasp on each side of the head should be situated just below the ears. You should be able to put a finger under the closed strap against your neck.
  • Getting the fit "just right" is a matter of trial and error, using the pads provided by the manufacturer and the strap adjustments. Try several helmets in the store; not all helmet styles will fit all heads equally well.
• If firearms are kept in the house make sure they are locked up and can in no way be accessed by children. Gun locks are also a good device to keep on guns kept in the house.
  • Teach your children to never touch or play with a gun.
  • Whether you own a gun or not, explain to your children that guns are dangerous and that they should never touch them.
  • If you have a gun in your home, make sure it is kept unloaded and locked away at all times. Lock up and store ammunition in a separate location. Make sure children do not have access to the keys. Contact your local police department and ask for advice on safe storage and gunlocks.
  • Because children are curious by nature and will eagerly explore their environment, the safest thing to do is not keep a gun at home. Handguns pose a special risk because they are easier for children to pick up and shoot, and they are overwhelmingly involved in most suicides, homicides and unintentional shooting deaths and injuries.
• Make sure that pools or hot tubs have covers or fences with gates around them to prevent potential drownings from small children.
• Child Safety Seats
  Make sure everyone in your family rides in the car safely by following these guidelines:
  • Infants should ride in a rear-facing infant seat until they are at least one-year-old and weigh at least 20 pounds.
  • Use a convertible or forward facing safety seat until the child outgrows it - up to about four and when the child weighs 40 pounds.
  • All children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly restrained in booster seats until they are at least eight years old, unless they are 4-feet 9-inches tall.
  • All children ages 12 and under should ride buckled up in the back seat.

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