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AHB Program Promotes Child Safety

06/28/2013
AHB Program Promotes Child Safety
With the start of summer, the Allentown Health Bureau is conducting its annual “Kids Can’t Fly” program.

The “Kids Can’t Fly” program objective is to prevent children from falling out of windows. “The arrival of hot weather means windows may be open wide in homes without air conditioning. That greatly increases the risk of child window falls, particularly those in multistory apartments,” said AHB Manager of Injury Prevention Services Jim Carlisle.

According to Safe Kids USA, approximately a dozen children under the age of 10 will die and another 4,000 will suffer injuries from falling out of windows this year in the United States. Children living in apartment buildings have the highest number of window fall incidents – five times more than children in residences. Head injuries account for the majority of injuries sustained from window falls. According to Bryan Fritz, Allentown EMS Operation Manager, two children fell out of windows in the city last year. “Hopefully the message delivered in our “Kids Can’t Fly” program will have the desired effect,” Carlisle added.

Since the majority of window falls (70 percent) occur during the spring and summer months, the Health Bureau offers copies of the “Kids Can’t Fly” brochure to landlords and their tenants to make them aware of the potential hazards. They include leaving children alone near windows, placing furniture near windows or opening the bottom window sash more than four inches. The brochure is available in English and Spanish.

"Our goal is to educate parents and caregivers of young children about the potential hazards of leaving small children alone near windows and to avoid these very preventable injuries. It is well worth it if we can prevent just one fall through this program,” said Carlisle.
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