As the weather begins to warm here are some tips to prevent window falls.
Late Thursday morning, Everett Fire responded to a South Everett apartment complex for a report of a 3-year-old boy who pushed through a window screen and fell from a second-story apartment window. Paramedics transported the child to Providence Regional Medical Center in stable condition, where he was treated for a non-life-threatening laceration to his head. He has since been discharged from the hospital.
Thankfully, this child received minor injuries; however, exactly one month ago today, firefighters responded to a similar call where a 4-year-old child had fallen from a second-story apartment window and was severely injured.
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 from falling out a window. 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. You can call or email us at 425-257-8111 or rdoniger@everettwa.gov, or stop by our Everett Fire Headquarters – 2801 Oakes Ave – Monday-Friday during business hours. If you live outside of Everett Fire jurisdiction, you can check with your local fire department to see if they offer this same service.
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
May 13, 2022
Everett Fire