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In just one short month, we will be hosting the 2021 Safe Kids Fair.
The Safe Kids Fair has a rich history as a free, fun-filled community event for children, families, and caregivers to build safety and health awareness through action-based education and take-action information. We are planning on an in-person event this year, however, pending any Covid-19 restrictions we are prepared to alter the event into another fun-filled drive-thru fair.
The Safe Kids Fair features hands-on activities for kids of all ages, face painting, mascot appearances, giveaways, healthy snacks and prizes. You, along with our supportive volunteers and a strong Foundation for Community Health leading the way, ensure our Fair’s success in reaching children and families with engaging activities and critical information. Thanks to our sponsors, participation in the Safe Kids Fair is free and provides a great opportunity to involve western Montana families and caregivers in health and safety awareness and the services of your organization. We will also be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Safe Kids Missoula Coalition, providing additional event promotion and special activities.
Interested in participating in the Fair by hosting a table and conducing a safety related activity at the event, contributing a swag item for inclusion in our youth goody bags, providing raffle prize(s) and/or donating an item for our online silent auction? You can also sign up to volunteer and/or help us promote the Fair throughout Missoula and the surrounding communities on your organization’s social media platforms and/or website. Please contact kevib@fchwmt.org if you are interested in participating and/or help out.
It was 12:30 in the morning and my husband, dogs, and I were fast asleep when we were suddenly woken by the sound of a smoke alarm. But it wasn’t our smoke alarm. It was our upstairs neighbor’s alarm. We lived in a two-story duplex at the time with little sound barrier between the two units. My husband went outside and saw smoke pouring from the roof. He went up to our neighbor’s and tried knocking on the door and windows, but no one answered. We called 9-1-1, gathered our dogs, and left our apartment. Within minutes, a fire crew arrived.
Our neighbor had fallen asleep while cooking pasta. They had been asleep long enough that all the water had evaporated, and the pasta was burning to the bottom of the pot. The firemen pounded on the door but had to break in and shake our neighbor awake. They told my husband that had no one called, our neighbor could have quickly succumbed to smoke inhalation as their apartment was filled.
Although the damage to our neighbor’s apartment was minimal and our apartment had no damage, it was a scary situation. We are thankful that we and our neighbor had working smoke alarms. Had we not, the outcome could have been much worse. We are now even more diligent about testing our alarms and changing the batteries because we know this little device potentially saved our lives.
Can you imagine it? You start up the grill, run into the house to grab the hamburgers and hotdogs and then you hear the scream of pain? I heard it just last year. Our four-year-old grandson was playing in a different part of the yard with the dogs, and I did not think he could even get to the grill in the matter of seconds it took for me to run into the kitchen. Luckily, he only hurt the palm of his hand and immediately took his hand away from the hot surface. So many others are not so lucky.
Every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association, “An average of 19,700 patients visit emergency rooms across the country with grilling-related injuries. Forty-eight percent suffered thermal burns, and 4 in 10 of these thermal burn patients are children under the age of 5.”
So, how do we keep our kiddos safe? Here are just a few safety tips:
You may have seen postings on social media about “dry drowning,” stories about kids who seemed perfectly fine after getting out of a pool, ocean or lake and then, suddenly, as much as a day later, end up with breathing difficulties and die.
It’s terrifying – but the fact is that this kind of sudden “dry drowning” with no prior symptoms just doesn’t occur.
“No drowning experts believe this happens,” says Dr. Linda Quan, expert advisor on water safety to Safe Kids Worldwide.
In fact, most medical authorities—including such organizations as the American Red Cross, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Emergency Physicians—discourage the use of the terms “dry drowning.” If a child seems completely normal after leaving the water and has no symptoms at all, that child did not drown.
That’s not to suggest that problems can’t arise after a child has left the water. They can – but they just don’t come out of nowhere!
Here’s what parents need to know about possible drowning dangers:
Of course, the key to preventing these and other worrisome episodes is to keep water safety top of mind this summer. For tips on making sure your child stays safe in and around water, check out safekids.org/watersafety.
