This past Sunday morning a two-year-old fell to his death from a 14th story window at Fairfax Towers in Falls Church. The window was open with only a screen to prevent the child's plunge. It failed.
Sunday, May 19, just one week after that tragedy, marks the commencement of National EMS Week. The theme this year is "We're There Because We Care."
One of the things the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department cares most particularly about is "Window Safety." Every year the Inova Regional Trauma Center treats many children who fall from windows.
ACCORDING TO A release issued by the department on May 13, "Seventy-five percent of the children who fall [from windows] are four-years old or less, and one-third are admitted directly to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children."
It further notes, "Most of the falls occur during the spring and autumn. Parents often report they were unaware of the dangers of having open windows in the home."
However, the department also stresses that windows provide a secondary means of escape from a burning home. Therefore, parents are urged to help children learn to safely use windows under such conditions. Determine a family emergency escape plan and practice it.
OTHER WINDOW safety tips issued by the department were:
* Do not paint or nail windows shut.
* Keep windows closed and locked when children are present.
* Establish and enforce rules to discourage children from playing on window sills.
* If opening windows for ventilation, open only those that children cannot reach if possible.
* Keep furniture and other objects suitable for climbing away from windows.
* Screens are designed to keep out insects. They will not prevent a child from falling.
* Supervision is the key to preventing tragedy or serious injury from falling through an open window.
They also warned that if window guards are installed it is imperative that they have a release mechanism so they can be opened for escape in a fire emergency. Residents are urged to consult with their local fire or building code officials to determine the proper installation of window guards. Time is critical when escaping a fire, the department emphasized.