LAKE STEVENS — Kids don’t always play in their bedrooms.
They’re investigative by nature, said David Petersen, assistant fire marshal with Snohomish County Fire District 8. They want to push on things, he said, including screens in window sills.
Fire and medical officials hope to share with parents the dangers of open windows. A 2-year-old girl fell from a third-story window in Lake Stevens earlier this month. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. About 3,300 children are injured from falls each year in the U.S., according to Safe Kids Snohomish County.
District 8 was awarded a grant last year, which was used to purchase window locks. Firefighters and paramedics hand them out to families they meet who have young children. Petersen said there are still about 1,000 left.
Snohomish County had one of the highest rates of falls statewide in 2015, according to a Department of Health report. It accounted for 29 percent of the 67 falls recorded in Washington. Last year, physicians at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett treated 16 children.
Providence’s records have shown a rise in window falls.
Shawneri Guzman, coordinator of Safe Kids Snohomish County, said this may be due to a rise in construction of apartments and a growing design trend to place bedrooms on third floors.
Petersen said he has noticed a boom in two-story homes in Lake Stevens. Now that the weather is warming up, people are starting to leave windows open for fresh air.
“This area is not known for having air conditioning,” he said.
He encourages parents to install locks on their windows, especially those located on second or third floors. As the father of a 5-year-old boy, he knows how important something as small as a window lock can be.
He recently saw his son leaning against the screen of an open window. The lock was on, restricting the window from opening more than a few inches.
“If the window was open an inch more, he would have fallen through,” Petersen said.
Another precaution parents can take, especially if their little ones have a tendency to climb, is moving furniture away from walls.
If a child does fall, Petersen said it is best to call for an ambulance. A paramedic can evaluate the child’s injuries before moving them.
Providence’s records show that 43 percent of patients arrived to the emergency room in a car, rather than an ambulance. Many of those same people stopped by an urgent care clinic before heading to the hospital.
The district plans to hand out window locks at the annual health and safety fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 11 in the Country Market parking lot. Admission is free. Parents interested in installing window locks also can call the district’s administration office at 425-334-3034.
Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com.
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