Top Five Causes of Poisoning

We are getting near the end of Poison Prevention Week and we hope you have learned a bit more about this oft overlooked safety topic.

When most people think about poisoning, they tend to think of someone swallowing a cleaning product or similar. As you can see in the info-graphic below, poisoning encompasses much more.

Take a moment to look at the variety of causes of poisoning and take steps today to prevent this from occurring in your home - especially if you have small children.

Teaching Kids How to Walk Safely

Hard to believe but school starts next week!

If your child walks to school, now would be a good time to review with her/him how to safely walk to school.  The below tips are provided by our partners in safety SafeKids.

• Teach kids at an early age to look left, right and left again before crossing the street. Then remind them to continue looking around until safely across.


• It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.


• Teach kids to make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.


• Children under 10 need to cross the street with an adult. Every child is different, but developmentally, most kids are unable to judge the speed and distance of oncoming cars until age 10.


• Encourage kids to be especially alert for cars that are turning or backing up.


• Teach kids not to run or dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.


• If kids are walking when it’s dark out, teach them to be especially alert and make sure they are visible to drivers. Have them wear light- or brightly-colored clothing and reflective gear.

Make Sure Your Child Is Prepared For A Fire

Every home should have working smoke alarms and an escape plan in case of a fire. Include all family members in the planning process and make a plan for anyone with special needs or limitations such as a baby or toddler, the elderly or the disabled.

Create a fire escape floor plan:

• Start by drawing a rectangle on a piece of paper. Draw one for reach room of your home. Then draw in all doors and windows. Your children can use crayons to draw in beds, tables, etc.
• In one color, draw a line that shows the fastest way out of each room. Then, in another color, draw another line that shows the second fastest way out.

Now that you have your fire escape plan, talk to your family about how they would escape from each room of your house or apartment if there was a fire. The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service recommends having home fire drills regularly so everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

Know what to do in case of a fire.

• Pick a meeting place outside of your home where everyone can gather after they have left the burning building.
• NEVER use an elevator to escape a fire.
• Conduct home fire drills and make them realistic by holding your drills in the evening since kids can get disoriented in the dark and fires often happen at night.
• In case of a fire, get out first then call the fire department with a portable, cell or neighbor's phone from a safe location.
• Make sure that everyone knows that once you're out, stay out! Never go back inside of a burning building.

Escape Tips:

• Close doors behind you as you escape to slow the spread of fire and smoke.
• If you have to escape through smoke, remember that smoke rises. Teach children to "get low and go" if there's smoke. The air will be cleanest and easier to breath near the floor.
• Test doorknobs and spaces around closed doors with the back of your hand. If the door is warm, try another escape route. If it is cool, open it slowly. Slam the door shut if smoke pours through.

Things to Think About:

• If you're having a baby-sitter or overnight guests, these people need to learn your household fire escape plan, too. They should be familiar with the sound of the smoke alarm, escape routes and your family's meeting place.
• Can everyone in your home - including children - unlock and open all doors and windows?
• You may want to consider supplying upper bedrooms with escape ladders. Show children where the ladders are kept, how to attach them to the window and how to use them. Demonstrate how to back out of the window and go down the ladder feet first. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue recommends practicing from a ground floor window where there is no risk of falling.
• If you need to descend a ladder to escape, be sure to lower children to the ground before you exit from the window. They may panic in an emergency situation and not follow you if you go first.
• If your windows have security bars, equip them with quick-release devices, and teach everyone in your household how to use them.
• Test your smoke alarms once a month.
• Replace alarm batteries once a year.
• Smoke alarms don't last forever. Replace alarms that are more than 10 years old, following manufacturer instructions.

Kids and Bike Helmets: The Right Fit

Bike helmets are not optional equipment. A helmet is your last line of defense in an accident - never ride without one!

Helmets have been shown in studies to reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by 90 percent. Nationally, only 15 percent of children bicyclists used bicycle helmets. Here are some points to consider when fitting a bike helmet on a child:

• The helmet should sit on the child's head so that the front rim is just above the eyebrows. Use the two finger rule - leave about two fingers width between your eyebrows and the front of the helmet. If the helmet rests on the back of the head, the forehead, nose and chin will be exposed.
• Before buckling the chin strap, have children shake their head from side to side. The helmet should generally stay put. If it moves excessively, it's too big and won't protect the head no matter how tight the chin strap is pulled. The straps should be joined just under each ear at the jawbone.
• When the chin strap is buckled, children should be able to open their mouth and feel the helmet press firmly against the top of their head.
• Buy a new helmet. Helmets that have suffered even a single fall or have been exposed to heat for a long time (i.e., kept in the trunk of a car) lose the cohesion that keeps the helmet intact during impact.
• Don't forget to set an example by wearing a helmet yourself!

Bike Safety and Bike Helmets

Montgomery County requires anyone under age 18 to wear a bicycle helmet when riding or being carried on a bicycle, including a bicycle with training wheels, on a public street, right-of-way, sidewalk or bicycle path in the County. ¹

Your child is 14 times more likely to survive a bike crash if he/she is wearing a helmet. Each year in the United States, approximately 250 children die in bicycle-related accidents, and about half a million are injured in bicycling accidents. Although it's estimated that 75% of the serious injuries could have been avoided if a helmet was worn, only about 20% of children in the United States wear a helmet.

Get the Helmet to Fit Right

Step 1: Make sure the helmet fits firmly.

Helmets are sold with foam pads that differ in thickness to make the helmet fit firmly. Use the foam pads by attaching them to the inside of the helmet until the helmet fits firmly on your child's head. The helmet should not move around when shaken.

Step 2: Make sure the helmet sits level on the child's head.

This means the helmet should cover the top of the forehead, just above the eyebrows. Wearing the helmet too far back is a common mistake. You should be able to place just two fingers between the eyebrows and the front of the helmet. Take off anything that could change the way a helmet fits (baseball caps, big hair clips, headphones, etc.).

Step 3: Position the straps correctly.

All straps should be snug but still comfortable. Fix the side straps so that they fit around your child's ear in a V-shape. Adjust the buckles or slides on the side strap so that they are right under theear. Tighten the chin strap until you can fit just one finger between the strap and your child's chin.

Check the fit of the helmet every time. Use the 2-V-1 finger test. Teach your child to do this test each time he gets ready to ride:

• Two fingers above the eyebrows
• V-Shape under each ear
• One finger under the chin strap
• Make sure that the helmet has a label to say that it meets safety standards, such as CSA, CPSC, ASTM, or Snell.

After taking a serious hit, helmets lose their capacity to absorb shock. They're designed that way so that the inner foam structure is altered by a very hard blow. If your child ever has a significant fall or hits any surface hard with the helmet, immediately replace the helmet. Don't Negotiate. It is estimated that 75% of bicycle-related deaths among children could be prevented with a bicycle helmet. Wearing one should never be optional for your child.

¹ Excerpted from the Montgomery County Code, Sec. 7-2 - Bicycle Helmets

Kids and Bike Helmets: The Right Fit

Bike helmets are not optional equipment. A helmet is your last line of defense in an accident - never ride without one!

Helmets have been shown in studies to reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by 90 percent. Nationally, only 15 percent of children bicyclists used bicycle helmets. Here are some points to consider when fitting a bike helmet on a child:

• The helmet should sit on the child's head so that the front rim is just above the eyebrows. Use the two finger rule - leave about two fingers width between your eyebrows and the front of the helmet. If the helmet rests on the back of the head, the forehead, nose and chin will be exposed.
• Before buckling the chin strap, have children shake their head from side to side. The helmet should generally stay put. If it moves excessively, it's too big and won't protect the head no matter how tight the chin strap is pulled. The straps should be joined just under each ear at the jawbone.
• When the chin strap is buckled, children should be able to open their mouth and feel the helmet press firmly against the top of their head.
• Buy a new helmet. Helmets that have suffered even a single fall or have been exposed to heat for a long time (i.e., kept in the trunk of a car) lose the cohesion that keeps the helmet intact during impact.
• Don't forget to set an example by wearing a helmet yourself!

Bike Safety and Bike Helmets

Montgomery County requires anyone under age 18 to wear a bicycle helmet when riding or being carried on a bicycle, including a bicycle with training wheels, on a public street, right-of-way, sidewalk or bicycle path in the County. ¹

Your child is 14 times more likely to survive a bike crash if he/she is wearing a helmet. Each year in the United States, approximately 250 children die in bicycle-related accidents, and about half a million are injured in bicycling accidents. Although it's estimated that 75% of the serious injuries could have been avoided if a helmet was worn, only about 20% of children in the United States wear a helmet.

Get the Helmet to Fit Right

Step 1: Make sure the helmet fits firmly.

Helmets are sold with foam pads that differ in thickness to make the helmet fit firmly. Use the foam pads by attaching them to the inside of the helmet until the helmet fits firmly on your child's head. The helmet should not move around when shaken.

Step 2: Make sure the helmet sits level on the child's head.

This means the helmet should cover the top of the forehead, just above the eyebrows. Wearing the helmet too far back is a common mistake. You should be able to place just two fingers between the eyebrows and the front of the helmet. Take off anything that could change the way a helmet fits (baseball caps, big hair clips, headphones, etc.).

Step 3: Position the straps correctly.

All straps should be snug but still comfortable. Fix the side straps so that they fit around your child's ear in a V-shape. Adjust the buckles or slides on the side strap so that they are right under theear. Tighten the chin strap until you can fit just one finger between the strap and your child's chin.

Check the fit of the helmet every time. Use the 2-V-1 finger test. Teach your child to do this test each time he gets ready to ride:

• Two fingers above the eyebrows
• V-Shape under each ear
• One finger under the chin strap
• Make sure that the helmet has a label to say that it meets safety standards, such as CSA, CPSC, ASTM, or Snell.

After taking a serious hit, helmets lose their capacity to absorb shock. They're designed that way so that the inner foam structure is altered by a very hard blow. If your child ever has a significant fall or hits any surface hard with the helmet, immediately replace the helmet. Don't Negotiate. It is estimated that 75% of bicycle-related deaths among children could be prevented with a bicycle helmet. Wearing one should never be optional for your child.

¹ Excerpted from the Montgomery County Code, Sec. 7-2 - Bicycle Helmets

Montgomery County Firefighters to Join Area Students in Annual Walk to School Day Events on October 3, 2012

Montgomery County, MD - - -  Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel will be joining students around the County to celebrate Walk to School Day to raise awareness and promote pedestrian safety. Thousands of students from schools in Montgomery County will be participating in this year’s event. Walk to School Day events raise awareness and create safer routes for walking and bicycling while emphasizing the importance of increasing physical activity among children and promoting pedestrian safety.

While many schools in the area will be participating in Walk to School programs, a number of local and elected officials will be joining students at Piney Branch Elementary School in Takoma Park and Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation John Porcari and other national, state and local guests will join a group of Piney Branch Elementary students in Takoma Park, Md., on Wednesday morning as a part of Montgomery County's Walk to School Day celebration. Media are invited to join in the programs on Wednesday, October 3, 2012:

         Where: Piney Branch Elementary School
                       7510 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park

         Time:    8:45 a.m. – Walkers will meet at 7620 Maple Avenue       

                       9:05 a.m. – Walk along Maple Avenue to Piney Branch Elementary School

                       9:20 a.m. – School-wide assembly and award presentation


         Where:  Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School

                        1200 Swingingdale Drive, Silver Spring

         Time:     8:40 a.m. – Walkers will meet at the Good Hope Community Center

                        9:05 a.m. – Walk to Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School
                        9:25 a.m. -   School-wide assembly

Sponsors of this year’s event include Safe Kids Montgomery County, Federal Express, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Foundation for Safety and Education, Montgomery County Department of Transportation, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, Montgomery County Police, Maryland Safe Routes Network, Maryland Highway Safety Office and Safe Routes to School National Partnership. Event will be held rain or shine. The assembly portion of the program will be moved indoors if the weather is inclement.   

Below was shot today, October 3rd, by Battalion Chief Charles Bailey as Station 24's crew participated in Walk to School Day at Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School.                                                    

New Child Safety Seat Laws In Effect Today!

Please see the information below re new Child Safety Seat Laws for Maryland that start today.


MD Child Seat Law

Learn Your Address - An Activity for Kids!

Houses have numbers instead of names. Firefighters and police use those numbers to find houses in an emergency so they can help you. The number you see on the front of your house is your home's first name. The street name or number is your home's last name. The home's first name and last name together make up your address. This house's first name is: 5677 (first) Piringer Street SW (last).

Instructions

 Download (PDF, 160 Kb) and print this page and have a grown up write your house's name (address) on the lines below. Read it out loud.

First Name (House number) -

---

Last Name (Street) -

---

Now copy your address. Color the house above the same colors as your home.

---

---

---

Help us help you - please make sure your house numbers are visible from the street and help your child learn his/her address and phone number. Hang this sheet up near your phone while your child is learning.

It’s Child Passenger Safety Week! Is Your Child In The Right Car Seat?

Hopefully everyone is aware that this week is Child Passenger Safety Week!  Did you know that car crashes are the number ONE killer of children ages 1 - 12 in the U.S?  A sad fact!

We want to make sure that all of our kids are riding in the correct car/booster seat to ensure maximum safety and well being.  Our friends at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have some great information regarding kids and car seats on their web site: Child Passenger Safety

If you have a young child PLEASE take a moment to review this potential life saving information!

As well, please visit our MCFRS Child Passenger Safety web site to learn more and find out how you can have your child safety seat installed by one of our certified Child Passenger Safety Seat Technicians.

As always, have a SAFE day!

It’s Child Passenger Safety Week! Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Child Passenger Safety

What is Montgomery County's law regarding car seat use?

Montgomery County does not have its own car seat law. We follow Maryland law which currently states that children must ride in a child restraint system until they are at least eight years old, unless they are 65 pounds or 4'9" before their eighth birthday. Maryland law states that the child restraint has to be federally approved and used correctly. Booster seats are considered child restraints, as well as infant seats, convertible seats and forward-facing seats.

What do I do if I need help getting a car seat?

If you live in Montgomery County and qualify, there is a voucher program that will provide a car seat for your child for $25.00. Call 240-777-2467 for any questions regarding eligibility. Once you have a voucher for a car seat, MCFRS will teach you how to install and use it properly at a scheduled car seat appointment.

When can my child ride in a car and just use the seat belts?

Most children are between 8 to 12 years old before they can safely ride in just a seat belt alone, unless they are 4 feet 9 inches tall. Click here to view PDF and find out if your child properly fits in a seat belt. When a child can safely ride with just a lap and shoulder belt depends on the vehicle. It is not uncommon for children to be able to ride safely in one family vehicle with the seat belt and not in another one.

When is my child allowed to ride in the front seat of my car?

Maryland's law does not state a child can't ride in the front seat (except for rear-facing infants in a car with active airbags-this is against instructions, very dangerous and illegal), however, it is strongly recommended by all safety experts that children ride in the back seat until they are teenagers. Age 12 and under should ride in the back seat. Children are 40% less likely to be seriously injured or killed in the back seat than the front seat.

When should I turn my child forward-facing?

Children should ride rear facing as long as possible, usually up to at least 18 to 24 months. Infant-only seats usually are rated for use up to 22 pounds and convertible seats can be used rear facing up to 30 to 45 pounds. The longer a child rides rear facing the safer they are.

How soon can my child use a booster seat?

Children should not ride in a booster seat until they are over 35 to 40 pounds and behave well enough to sit still in a booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt. Generally, children are at least 3 to 4 years old before they should ride in a booster seat.

How does one get certified to be a car seat technician?

In order to become a certified technician one must successfully complete a NHTSA standardized certification class that lasts approximately four days. Contact the program manager at 240-777-2467 for information about upcoming classes in Montgomery County. Classes are held every other month.

Will MCFRS come to my school/church/Day Care Center and organize a car seat check?

MCFRS conducts car seat checks eighteen hours a week among three different locations. Due to limited availability of certified technicians at other times, it is not usually possible to come to additional sites. Contact the program manager if you have specific requests.

Why is there a wait for a car seat appointment?

It is not unusual for MCFRS to receive fifty or more calls in a single day requesting a car seat appointment. With the available technicians, we can only schedule approximately 500 appointments each month. We make every effort to return your calls and meet your appointment needs as promptly as possible. We schedule appointments three weekdays and one evening each week, as well as three Saturdays a month.

What do I do if I need an appointment right away and there are none available for a week or more?

All car seats come with instruction manuals, as well as toll free numbers to reach the manufacturer. If you read and follow the instructions you should be able to safely use the seat until the next appointment is available. Call the MCFRS car seat hotline number (240-777-2222 to find other locations in the area that check car seats.

Is there anything special I need to know if I have a premature or smaller baby?

It is important to read the weight and height requirements on your infant seat. Some infant seats are rated for use from 4 to 22 pounds and others require a child to be at least 5 pounds. If you are anticipating a smaller newborn, get one of the car seats rated for use starting at 4 pounds. Sometimes newborns have a medical need to lie flat. If this is the case, your physician will suggest using a car bed. MCFRS has a supply of car beds for loaner use when this is necessary.

Are there any websites you suggest for additional child passenger safety information?

• www.carseat.org
• www.safekids.org
• www.saferidenews.com
• www.nhtsa.gov features latest research, occupant protection laws in other states.
• http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/childseat.cfm has latest recall list.
• http://www.usa.safekids.org/tier2_rl.cfm?folder_id=1400 To find a car seat inspection station in another area.

Do you also install car seats or just inspect them?

Our program wants to educate you about your car seat during your appointment. The more you have done ahead of time to prepare, the better your learning experience will be. We suggest that you try to read your car seat owner's manual and attempt to install your car seat before your appointment. Regardless of how your seat arrives, you will leave with a properly installed car seat and will know how to properly secure a child in it.

Is there a charge for this service?

There is not a charge for your appointment and we want to keep it that way for everyone. The funding for this program is limited due to reduced grant funding and minimal staff, so if you wish to help the program purchase seats for families in need or inspection supplies, donations can be made and are always appreciated. You will receive information about how to make a donation in the packet of materials you receive at your appointment. All donations go directly towards program costs.

News From the Child Passenger Safety Seat Program

Safe Kids Montgomery County and Montgomery County Fire Rescue’s Car Seat Program are very pleased with the latest car seat recommendations developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that were released on March 21, 2011. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also revised their recommendations for release on the same day. The changes reflect what our car seat program has been advising caregivers to do for the past two and a half years. The policy encourages caregivers to slow the transition from one child restraint to the next. The biggest change for many is the recommendation that children should remain in rear-facing car seats until they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for their car seat model, or at least the age of two. The new best practice recommendations are listed below. The AAP also suggests to pediatricians that they consult with certified car seat technicians for their expertise. If you have questions regarding these changes, please call Emilie Crown at 240-777-2467 or schedule an appointment with one of our certified car seat technicians by calling 240-777-2223.

· Best practice recommendation #1 states, “All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat (CSS) until they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of their CSS.”

· Best practice recommendation #2 states, “All children 2 years or older, or those younger than 2 years who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their CSS, should use a forward-facing CSS with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of their CSS.”

· Best practice recommendation #3 states, “All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their CSS should use a belt-positioning-booster until the vehicle lap-and-shoulder seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.”

· Best practice recommendation #4 states, “When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use lap-and-shoulder seat belts for optimal protection.”

· Best practice recommendation #5 states, “All children younger than 13 years of age should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.”

Links for additional information:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS for information from NHTSA


http://www.healthychildren.org/English/News/pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendations-on-Car-Seats.aspx for more information from AAP