Child Who Fell From Window Friday Transferred To Harborview In Stable Condition

An update from the fire department in Everett, Washington on a story we reported where a child fell out of a second story window last Friday.

The toddler fell from a second story window.

 Everett Fire Paramedics transported a 4-year-old boy to Providence Regional Medical Center Friday evening after falling approximately 20 feet from a second-story apartment window at an apartment complex in the Glacier View neighborhood. The child suffered significant injuries and was later transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in stable condition.

Everett Fire urges parents and caregivers of young children to take precautions with window safety as we move into warmer weather months. Snohomish County saw a record-high of 22 window falls last year. Every year almost 5,000 children are injured after window falls. Most children who fall out of windows are between 2 and 5 years old.

To help keep the children in your life safe, here are some safety tips from the National Safety Council and Safe Kids Worldwide to help prevent window falls:

• Supervise children to keep child’s play away from windows, balconies or patio doors.
• Don’t rely on insect screens to prevent a window fall. Insect screens are designed to keep bugs out, not to keep children in the home. The weight of a child can easily push through a screen.
• Install window guards and stops. Properly installed window guards prevent unintentional window falls. For windows above the first floor, include an emergency release device in case of fire. Window stops are also a great idea. They allow fresh air and a cross breeze and still ensure windows can’t open wide enough for kids to fall out.
• Keep kids from climbing near windows. For your crawlers and climbers, move chairs, cribs and other furniture away from windows to help prevent window falls.
• When opening a window for ventilation, use those located out of a child’s reach. Never open a window more than 4 inches.

Most window falls are preventable. A few minutes of prevention can help make your home safer for your child.

Need window stops? We have some available for free for residents. Call us at 425-257-8120 or email our public educators in the Everett Fire Marshal’s Office at FMO@everettwa.gov and let us know how many you need. You can also check with your local fire department if you live outside our jurisdiction.

For window safety flyers in other languages, please see the below links:

• (Spanish) Seguridad de las Ventana para Niños
• (Russian) Дети и Безопасные Окна
• (Vietnamese) An Toàn Về Cửa Sổ Cho Trẻ Em
• (Chinese) 儿童窗户安全