Toddlers Injured From Fall

(Gaithersburg) - On June 23rd, Montgomery County Fire Rescue responded to a call for an injured child who had fallen from a window. They arrived at the 100 block of Mission Drive, in Gaithersburg, to find a two-year old male who had fallen approximately 12 feet from a window after the screen on the window broke loose. EMS units transported the child to Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C. where the boy is recovering.

A similar incident occurred May 15th in Montgomery Village where a one-year old girl succumbed to her injuries after falling from her third story window.

These tragic incidents are easily preventable by taking simple measures to ensure children cannot gain accidental access to the outside through a window.

• Never leave windows open with children unattended
• Establish ground-rules for children playing near windows
• Do not block windows with furniture. They provide a means for children to get to the windows and lean against them. They also prevent people from using a window as a means of exit in an emergency
• If you open windows for ventilation, try choosing windows which are not in the reach of children
• Although insect screens keep the bugs out, they DO NOT offer any protection in restraining people from falling out of the window
• Consider purchasing gates for your windows to prevent children from accessing them
• Check windows periodically for proper working order. Latches should be rust proof and the window should be able to be easily opened in case of an emergency.
• Consider changing the landscape around your windows to reduce injury from someone exiting through a window ie. replace solid concrete or bricks with hedges or grass.