Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘emergency’

Recently, a 7-year-old boy from California received national attention and praise for his quick thinking in calling 911 during an armed robbery at his home.   

News reports state three men burst into the home with weapons and held his mother and father at gunpoint.  The boy, only identified as Carlos, hid with his sister in a locked bathroom.  There he placed the call.  “There are some guys that are gonna kill my Mom and Dad. Can you come, please,” Carlos said to sheriff’s dispatcher Monique Patino.

The suspects left without hurting anyone, upon discovering the 911 call had been made.  When interviewed, Carlos said his mother taught him how to dial 911.  “We practice it every day,” he said.

Teaching your children what constitutes an emergency is important.  Quizzing them on what they would do in the event of a fire, a serious medical problem (seizure, bleeding, serious wounds) or any life-threatening situation is vital training that will prepare them if the occasion ever arises.  A child is generally capable of doing so when they are able to communicate verbally,  about 3-4 years old.  It’s imperative  your child memorizes your street address and phone number so operators have that information as confirmation. 

The Dodson Law Firm is dedicated to the safety of your children and provides this blog as a service in doing so.  Additional information on how to use 911 can be found at kidshealth.org.

Florida Child Injury Lawyer, working to make safety every child’s reality.

 A child injury prevention fair is being held at Lee Memorial Hospital in Ft. Myers, this Saturday, January 23rd.   The Emergency and Trauma Services wing at Lee Memorial will be working in conjunction with The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida to provide activities and information to educate families on how to avoid childhood accidents. 

Some of the areas to be discussed include how to prevent child injuries such as fall accidents, child burn injury and car accident injury.  Healthy snacks will also be available. 

 Michele King, director of the Child Advocacy Program at The Children’s Hospital stated. “There will be so much good information for parents and kids.  It is very interactive.”

 To find out more information on the event, please contact Karen Krieger, Director of Public Affairs at 239-454-8765.

Household injuries are one of the top reasons kids under age 3 visit the ER, and nearly 70% of the children who die from unintentional injuries at home are 4 years old and under. Young kids have the highest risk of being injured at home because that’s where they spend most of their time.

Supervision is the best way to prevent injuries, in the home and out, but even the most watchful parents can’t keep kids completely out of harm’s way every second of the day.

We’d like to share additional information with you on making your home safer.  We went over some tips in part 1, but here are a  few more.

 1) Child monitoring system.  These systems offer peace of mind and protection.  They come in audio and video configurations.  Monitoring your child when they are out of sight in another room provides a safe environment.

 2) Carbon Monoxide Detector.  Reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning by installing these detectors outside a child’s bedroom or other sleeping areas in your home.

 3) Safety Gates.  Children need to be diverted from dangerous areas, including   stairwells and places you consider off-limits.  Safety gates that can be attached to a wall offer more protection than pressure gates.

4.) Always keep guns, toxic items and choking hazards safely stored and locked up  and out of the reach of children.

5.) Keep a list of emergency contact phone numbers near your phones in the event of an emergency.

 Protect your child from unintentional injury.  Implementing safety devices and keeping a watchful eye will benefit your child.  An ounce of prevention goes a long way!