Invest in properly fitting, CoastGuard-approved flotationdevices (life vests) and use themwhenever a child is near water.Check the weight and size rec-ommendations on the label.Make sure it fits your childsnugly. For children youngerthan 5, choose a vest with astrap between the legs and headsupport — the collar will keepthe child's head up and his/herface out of the water. Inflatablevests and arm devices such aswater wings are not effectiveagainst drowning.

The bath-room isfull ofdangersfor ayoungchild.Neverleave ayoung child unattended in thebathroom, especially whilebathing — even if the childappears to be secure in a safetytub or bath ring.

Awareness can go a long way inpreventing injuries outside the

home. Find out where the waterhazards in your neighborhoodare. Who has a pool or waterspa? Where are the retainingponds or creeks that may attractchildren? Make neighbors whohave pools aware that you havea young child and ask them tokeep their gates locked.

Water play can be a great sourceof fun and exercise. Everyonewill enjoy the water experiencemore by knowing and practicingwater safety precautions.

Source: www.primarychildrens.com/kidshealth

• Always lock car doors andtrunks - even at home - andkeep keys out of reach.

• Watch children closely aroundcars, particularly when load-ing or unloading items.

• Always make sure all childpassengers have left the carwhen you reach your destina-tion.

• Don't overlook sleepinginfants.

• When restraining children in acar that has been parked in theheat, check to make sure seat-ing surfaces and equipment

(car seat and seat belt buckles)aren't overly hot.

• If your child gets lockedinside a car, get him out anddial 9-1-1 or your local emer-gency number immediately.

• Use a thin covering to shadethe seat of your parked car.Consider using windshieldshades in front and back win-dows.

• Car trunks can be especiallyhazardous. Keep the trunklocked at all times, especiallywhen parked in the drivewayor near the home.

• Contact your automobile deal-ership about getting your vehi-cle retrofitted with a trunkrelease mechanism.

• Keep the rear fold-down seatsclosed to help prevent kidsfrom getting into the trunkfrom inside the car.

• Be wary of child-resistantlocks. Teach older childrenhow to disable the driver'sdoor locks if they unintention-ally become entrapped in amotor vehicle.

Remember: Never leave yourchild alone in or around cars.

4

Aproud

member of the

Box 142106, SLC, UT 84114 (801) 538-6852

Honorary ChairJacalyn S. Leavitt

SpokespersonRoma Downey

Lead OrganizationViolence and Injury Prevention Program

Member OrganizationsUtah Department of Health

Primary Children’s Medical CenterRegence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah

State Farm InsuranceStar 102.7

Free & Accepted Masons of UtahUtah State Office of Education

Utah Safety CouncilUtah Department of Public Safety

AAA UtahUtah Poison Control Center

Utah PTAAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, Utah Chapter

Larry H. Miller ChevroletChevron

KSTU Fox 13

Utah

Coalition©

The Utah SAFE KIDS Coalitionthanks Regence BlueCrossBlueShield of Utah, and theUtah Medical Association

Foundation for their generouscontributions which allowed us to

produce this newsletter.

Worry-Free Summer (from page 3)

child. If a child is unintention-ally poisoned, treatment mayinclude inducing vomiting byipecac syrup. Use only on theadvice of the Poison ControlCenter (1-800-222-1222) or aphysician. Keep these andother emergency numbers byevery phone in the home.

• Keep beds and cribs awayfrom windows and drapery.Children can strangle in drap-ery cords or fall from win-dows that are near the bed orcrib. Retrofit current blindswith safety devices or consid-er purchasing cordless win-dow coverings. Never tiestrings on pacifiers or hangpurses on doorknobs.

• Check thehouse forfire haz-ards. Lookfor obvious fire hazards suchas frayed electrical wires orflammable materials near heatsources such as space heaters.Never run electrical cordsunder rugs.

• Install carbon monoxide(CO) alarms in every sleepingarea in your home and checkbatteries monthly. CO is a col-orless, odorless gas producedby fuel burning appliances.Exposure to even low levels ofthis poisonous gas can be fatalto a small child.

• Use safety gates. Stairsare particularly danger-ous and falls from stairstend to result in moresevere injuries. Use safe-ty gates both at the topand bottom of stairs.

• Do not allow children to walk around with silverware,lollipops or toothbrushes intheir mouth.

• Never use baby walkers onwheels. Use walker alterna-tives or stationary activitycenters.

• If firearms are kept in thehouse, keep them locked,unloaded and stored out ofreach. Secure ammunition in aseparate, locked location.

• Keep first aid supplies onhand. Make sure parents andother caregivers know whereto find the supplies in yourhome and how to respond inan emergency.

Source: National SAFE KIDSCampaign

KIDS + CARS = DANGER (from page 2)

Hazards in Your Home (from page 2)

CHILD PROOFYOUR HOME

ThankYou

The Utah SAFE KIDSCoalition wishes to thank the

following major sponsors:

KSTU Fox 13

Star 102.7 FM

State Farm Insurance

Traumatic Brain InjurySurveillance &

Prevention Project

Home DepotTheir generous contributionshave made the 2003 SAFE

KIDS Week celebration pos-sible, and help make Utah a

safer place for kids.

When our children need an extra dose of love or concern, we don’t hesitate to ‘wrap our arms around them’ and offer a comforting hug. This summer, the Utah SAFE KIDS Coalition asks par-ents to “Wrap Your Arms Around Safety, ” too, inanother very important show of love and concernfor your children.

Wrap Your Arms Around Safety is the theme forSAFE KIDS Week 2003 — May 3-17. During thistime, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and theUtah SAFE KIDS Coalition will educate parentsabout traumatic brain injury prevention, fire and burn safety, car seat installation, drowning prevention and more.

SAFE KIDS encourages par-ents and kids to drop byone of the events happening near you to learn about safety.Activities like bike rodeos, fingerprinting, helmet fitting sta-tions, rock climbing walls and more will be provided to teach

families essential information about being safe.

We know that the leading cause of death for childrenunder the age of 14 is unintentional injury. The realtragedy is that most of these deaths are preventable.Often all it takes is a helmet, car seat or smoke detector

to save a life. These items are inexpensive, and asmall price to pay for saving someone’s life.

Prevention is the key. It is estimated that, by takingsimple precau-

tions, nearly all(90%) of theseunintentionalinjuries canbe avoided.

So the nexttime youwrap yourarms arounda child,remember towrap themaround safety, too. Formore information on allareas of child injury preven-tion, visit the SAFE KIDSWeb site at www.safekids.org.

THESENTINELSpring/

Summer2003

S a f e K i d s A r e N o A c c i d e n t !

M a k i n g U t a h a S a f e r P l a c e f o r K i d s

inside ...Playing With Fire . . . 2

Hiding in Plain Sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

If It Has Wheels . . . .3

A Wet, Wild and Worry-Free Summer . . . . 4

U t a h

SAFE KIDS

C o a l i t i o n

WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND SAFETYTo learn about the SAFE KIDS eventshappening in your area, contact yourlocal SAFE KIDS coordinator:

Utah State SK Coalition:Rachel Smith . . . . . . . .(801) 538-6852Janet Brooks . . . . . . . .(801) 588-3683

Bear River SK Coalition:Todd Barson . . . . . . . .(435) 792-6511

Carbon/Emery SK Chapter:Georgina Nowak . . . . .(435) 637-3671Martin Wilson . . . . . . .(435) 381-2404

Central Utah SK Chapter:Terry Smith . . . . . . . . .(435) 896-2780

Davis County SK Coalition:Teresa Smith . . . . . . . .(801) 451-3586

Great Basin SK Chapter:Dean Shields . . . . . . . .(435) 743-6530Sharon Blad . . . . . . . . .(435) 743-5591

Salt Lake County SK Coalition:Andrea Richardson . . .(801) 313-6607

Southern Utah SK Chapter:RuthAnn Adams . .(435) 673-3528 x54Emilie Isham . . . . . . . .(435) 586-7050Faelyn Kartchner . . . . .(435) 865-7701

Summit County SK Chapter:Geri Essen . . . . . . . . . .(435) 615-3912

Tooele County SK Chapter:Brenda Nelson . . . . . . .(435) 843-2338

Tri-County SK Chapter:Toni Fenn . . . . . . . . . .(435) 781-5471

Utah County SK Chapter:Bonnie Hargreaves . . . .(801) 370-8735

Wasatch County SK Chapter:Amber George . . . . . . .(435) 657-3259Jonelle Fitzgerald . . . . .(435) 657-3260

Weber/Morgan SK Chapter:Jann Fawcett . . . . . . . .(801) 399-8165Kristie Larson . . . . . . .(801) 399-8428

SAFE KIDS EVENTS

As temperatures climb, kidseverywhere are anxious to hitthe road — on bikes, skate-boards, scooters and rollerblades. As fun as they maybe, they're a potential dan-ger for riders who fail towear a helmet.

Everyone knows hel-mets help preventdeaths and injuries;everyone also knowshow tough it can beto get kids towear them. So,put your ownhelmet on, insist that

your children wear theirs, andkeep in mind that different activ-ities require different helmets:

• A regular bike helmet canbe used for biking.

• Skateboards, scoot-ers and in-line skatesrequire a multi-sport

helmet. Designeddifferently

to cover more of the back of thehead, multi-sport helmets canwithstand several impacts; bikehelmets are designed for oneimpact only.

• The Bike Helmet SafetyInstitute warns against allow-ing any child 12 months oryounger to ride on a bike,whether in a backpack, trailer,child carrier or a sidecar. Thejolting that occurs on a bikeride could cause Shaken BabySyndrome or other seriousinjuries. Take your infant on awalk instead of a bike ride.

To increase your chances ofgetting your child to wear ahelmet on every ride:

• Let your child choose his/herown helmet at the store, theymay be more likely to wear it.

• Store helmets near bikes,skate-boards, roller-blades,etc. That way they'll alwaysbe easier to find and put on.

• Wear a helmet yourself. Whywould Junior want to wearone if Dad doesn't?

And remember:For a safe summer, if it haswheels…wear a helmet!

How safeis your home

for your child?Any 'home sweet

home' may havenumerous hiddenhazards. To help

reduce the risks inyour home theUtah SAFE

KIDS Coalitionoffers the follow-

ing guidelines:

CHILDPROOFINGSTEPS• Safety, not convenience,

comes first when child-proofing the home. Lockall potentially harmfulproducts out of children’sreach, including papershredders, garbage cans,knives, scissors and curl-ing irons.

• Get down on your handsand knees and explore thehome from a child’s pointof view. Ask yourself“What looks tempting?”

“What is within reach?”Look for potential dangersbetween the floor andabout 40 inches above thefloor. Also, check floorsand carpets for burieddangers like pins, buttons,paper clips, dry pet food,latex balloons or coins.

• Lock medicine cabinets.

• Install toilet locks. Whenchildren lean into a toiletbowl, they can lose theirbalance, fall forward anddrown.

• Request child-resistantpackaging. Wheneverpossible, purchase med-ications in child-resistantcontainers. Keep in mindthat child-resistant doesnot mean childproof.These medicines still needto be locked up and out ofa child's reach.

• Keep a one-once bottleof ipecac syrup in themedicine cabinet for each

2 3

With summer fast approach-ing, chances are your kids areplanning for a wild time inthe water. Pools, lakes, pondsand beaches can offer excit-

ing recreational opportunitiesfor the whole family. Butwater can also be a dangerousplace for children:

• Nearly 1,000 children dieevery year by drowning.

• 60 percent of drowningsinvolving children youngerthan 5 occur in home swim-ming pools.

• Drowning is a quick andsilent killer. In the time ittakes to…

… cross the room for atowel (10 seconds), achild in the bathtub canbecome submerged.

…answer the phone (2minutes), that child canlose consciousness

…sign for a package atyour front door (4 to 6minutes), a child sub-merged in the bathtub orpool can sustain perma-nent brain damage.

• Almost 75% of all pre-schoolers who drowned werein the care of one or bothparents at the time of drown-ing and had been out of sightfor less than 5 minutes.

Knowledge is a powerful toolfor combating thesetragedies. Knowing how andwhere children drown, aswell as the concrete steps youcan take to avoid danger, maymake a life-and-death differ-ence for your family.

How Can You KeepYour Child Safe?The most important thing toremember when it comes towater safety is that childrenneed constant supervisionaround water — whether thewater is in a bathtub, a wad-ing pool, an ornamental fish-pond, a swimming pool, aspa, the beach or a lake.

Young children are especiallyat risk — they can drown inless than 2 inches of water.Drowning can happen whereyou least expect it — thesink, the toilet bowl, foun-tains, buckets, inflatablepools, or small bodies ofstanding water around yourhome, such as ditches filledwith rain water.

Learn to swim, and if yourchild is older than 4 years,have him learn to swim, too.Don't assume, however, thatjust because your childknows how to swim, shewon't drown. Always super-vise your children while theyare in the water, no matterwhat their swimming skilllevels.

Each year thousands of childrensuffer burn-related injuries thatrequire long periods of rehabil-itation, multiple skin grafts andpainful physical therapy.

Some of the most commonburns are caused by haircurlers, curling irons, roomheaters, ovens, irons, fireworks,electrical cords, hot foods andliquids spilled in the kitchen,and hot tap water in sinks andtubs.

Prevention Tips• Never leave a child alone,

especially in the bathroom orkitchen.

• Install smoke detectors in yourhome on every level and inevery sleeping area. Test themonce a month, replace the bat-teries at least once a year, andreplace the alarms every 10years.

• Set your water heater thermo-stat to 1200 F or below.Consider installing waterfaucets and showerheads con-taining anti-scald technology.

• Keep matches, gasoline,lighters and all other flamma-ble materials locked away andout of children's reach.

• Use back burners and turn pothandles to the back of thestove when cooking.

• Keep hot foods and liquidsaway from table and counteredges. Never carry or holdchildren with hot foods or liq-uids at the same time.

• Never allow children to handlefireworks.

• Keep appliance cords out ofchildren's reach.

• Cover unused electrical outletswith plug covers.

For more information on fireand burn prevention, call orvisit your local fire department.

Remember: Smoke detectorssave lives … you can't escapeif you're not awake.

“Because a young child's skin is thinner

than that of older children and adults, it burns more deeply

and at lower temperatures.”

IF IT HAS WHEELS — You'd Better Use a HelmetHIDING IN PLAIN SIGHTHazards in Your Home

A WET, WILD AND WORRY-FREE SUMMER

continued on page 4continued on page 4

Despite regular remindersand repeated warnings,some parents still believeit's okay to leave a child ina car for "just a minute" torun an errand.

Sadly, we can't ask themore than two dozen chil-dren who were left insidehot cars in 2002 whether"just a minute" was aminute too long. Becausethose kids are dead.

The National SAFE KIDSCampaign® reports that inthe U.S., at least 30 childrendied of hyperthermia (heatstroke) last year after theywere abandoned inside ahot vehicle. Many of thesechildren were left behind orforgotten by an adult, whileothers gained access to anunlocked car and couldn'tget out. And these are onlythe cases officials knowabout.

What Happens to aChild's Body? Extreme heat is dangerousfor infants and children.Heat rapidly overwhelmsthe body resulting in shock,lack of circulation to organsand may cause permanentinjury or death.

When the temperature out-side reaches 80o F, a car'sinterior temperature canreach dangerous levels in

just minutes, evenwith a window cracked.

Tips and Guidelines SAFE KIDS offers the fol-lowing safety precautions tohelp prevent heat-relatedinjuries:

• Never leave your child ina motor vehicle, even withthe windows down.

• Teach children not to playin, on, or around cars.

KIDS + CARS = DANGER Don't Make a Fatal Mistake

PLAYING WITH FIREKeeping Kids Safe from Burn Injuries

continued on page 4

As temperatures climb, kidseverywhere are anxious to hitthe road — on bikes, skate-boards, scooters and rollerblades. As fun as they maybe, they're a potential dan-ger for riders who fail towear a helmet.

Everyone knows hel-mets help preventdeaths and injuries;everyone also knowshow tough it can beto get kids towear them. So,put your ownhelmet on, insist that

your children wear theirs, andkeep in mind that different activ-ities require different helmets:

• A regular bike helmet canbe used for biking.

• Skateboards, scoot-ers and in-line skatesrequire a multi-sport

helmet. Designeddifferently

to cover more of the back of thehead, multi-sport helmets canwithstand several impacts; bikehelmets are designed for oneimpact only.

• The Bike Helmet SafetyInstitute warns against allow-ing any child 12 months oryounger to ride on a bike,whether in a backpack, trailer,child carrier or a sidecar. Thejolting that occurs on a bikeride could cause Shaken BabySyndrome or other seriousinjuries. Take your infant on awalk instead of a bike ride.

To increase your chances ofgetting your child to wear ahelmet on every ride:

• Let your child choose his/herown helmet at the store, theymay be more likely to wear it.

• Store helmets near bikes,skate-boards, roller-blades,etc. That way they'll alwaysbe easier to find and put on.

• Wear a helmet yourself. Whywould Junior want to wearone if Dad doesn't?

And remember:For a safe summer, if it haswheels…wear a helmet!

How safeis your home

for your child?Any 'home sweet

home' may havenumerous hiddenhazards. To help

reduce the risks inyour home theUtah SAFE

KIDS Coalitionoffers the follow-

ing guidelines:

CHILDPROOFINGSTEPS• Safety, not convenience,

comes first when child-proofing the home. Lockall potentially harmfulproducts out of children’sreach, including papershredders, garbage cans,knives, scissors and curl-ing irons.

• Get down on your handsand knees and explore thehome from a child’s pointof view. Ask yourself“What looks tempting?”

“What is within reach?”Look for potential dangersbetween the floor andabout 40 inches above thefloor. Also, check floorsand carpets for burieddangers like pins, buttons,paper clips, dry pet food,latex balloons or coins.

• Lock medicine cabinets.

• Install toilet locks. Whenchildren lean into a toiletbowl, they can lose theirbalance, fall forward anddrown.

• Request child-resistantpackaging. Wheneverpossible, purchase med-ications in child-resistantcontainers. Keep in mindthat child-resistant doesnot mean childproof.These medicines still needto be locked up and out ofa child's reach.

• Keep a one-once bottleof ipecac syrup in themedicine cabinet for each

2 3

With summer fast approach-ing, chances are your kids areplanning for a wild time inthe water. Pools, lakes, pondsand beaches can offer excit-

ing recreational opportunitiesfor the whole family. Butwater can also be a dangerousplace for children:

• Nearly 1,000 children dieevery year by drowning.

• 60 percent of drowningsinvolving children youngerthan 5 occur in home swim-ming pools.

• Drowning is a quick andsilent killer. In the time ittakes to…

… cross the room for atowel (10 seconds), achild in the bathtub canbecome submerged.

…answer the phone (2minutes), that child canlose consciousness

…sign for a package atyour front door (4 to 6minutes), a child sub-merged in the bathtub orpool can sustain perma-nent brain damage.

• Almost 75% of all pre-schoolers who drowned werein the care of one or bothparents at the time of drown-ing and had been out of sightfor less than 5 minutes.

Knowledge is a powerful toolfor combating thesetragedies. Knowing how andwhere children drown, aswell as the concrete steps youcan take to avoid danger, maymake a life-and-death differ-ence for your family.

How Can You KeepYour Child Safe?The most important thing toremember when it comes towater safety is that childrenneed constant supervisionaround water — whether thewater is in a bathtub, a wad-ing pool, an ornamental fish-pond, a swimming pool, aspa, the beach or a lake.

Young children are especiallyat risk — they can drown inless than 2 inches of water.Drowning can happen whereyou least expect it — thesink, the toilet bowl, foun-tains, buckets, inflatablepools, or small bodies ofstanding water around yourhome, such as ditches filledwith rain water.

Learn to swim, and if yourchild is older than 4 years,have him learn to swim, too.Don't assume, however, thatjust because your childknows how to swim, shewon't drown. Always super-vise your children while theyare in the water, no matterwhat their swimming skilllevels.

Each year thousands of childrensuffer burn-related injuries thatrequire long periods of rehabil-itation, multiple skin grafts andpainful physical therapy.

Some of the most commonburns are caused by haircurlers, curling irons, roomheaters, ovens, irons, fireworks,electrical cords, hot foods andliquids spilled in the kitchen,and hot tap water in sinks andtubs.

Prevention Tips• Never leave a child alone,

especially in the bathroom orkitchen.

• Install smoke detectors in yourhome on every level and inevery sleeping area. Test themonce a month, replace the bat-teries at least once a year, andreplace the alarms every 10years.

• Set your water heater thermo-stat to 1200 F or below.Consider installing waterfaucets and showerheads con-taining anti-scald technology.

• Keep matches, gasoline,lighters and all other flamma-ble materials locked away andout of children's reach.

• Use back burners and turn pothandles to the back of thestove when cooking.

• Keep hot foods and liquidsaway from table and counteredges. Never carry or holdchildren with hot foods or liq-uids at the same time.

• Never allow children to handlefireworks.

• Keep appliance cords out ofchildren's reach.

• Cover unused electrical outletswith plug covers.

For more information on fireand burn prevention, call orvisit your local fire department.

Remember: Smoke detectorssave lives … you can't escapeif you're not awake.

“Because a young child's skin is thinner

than that of older children and adults, it burns more deeply

and at lower temperatures.”

IF IT HAS WHEELS — You'd Better Use a HelmetHIDING IN PLAIN SIGHTHazards in Your Home

A WET, WILD AND WORRY-FREE SUMMER

continued on page 4continued on page 4

Despite regular remindersand repeated warnings,some parents still believeit's okay to leave a child ina car for "just a minute" torun an errand.

Sadly, we can't ask themore than two dozen chil-dren who were left insidehot cars in 2002 whether"just a minute" was aminute too long. Becausethose kids are dead.

The National SAFE KIDSCampaign® reports that inthe U.S., at least 30 childrendied of hyperthermia (heatstroke) last year after theywere abandoned inside ahot vehicle. Many of thesechildren were left behind orforgotten by an adult, whileothers gained access to anunlocked car and couldn'tget out. And these are onlythe cases officials knowabout.

What Happens to aChild's Body? Extreme heat is dangerousfor infants and children.Heat rapidly overwhelmsthe body resulting in shock,lack of circulation to organsand may cause permanentinjury or death.

When the temperature out-side reaches 80o F, a car'sinterior temperature canreach dangerous levels in

just minutes, evenwith a window cracked.

Tips and Guidelines SAFE KIDS offers the fol-lowing safety precautions tohelp prevent heat-relatedinjuries:

• Never leave your child ina motor vehicle, even withthe windows down.

• Teach children not to playin, on, or around cars.

KIDS + CARS = DANGER Don't Make a Fatal Mistake

PLAYING WITH FIREKeeping Kids Safe from Burn Injuries

continued on page 4

Invest in properly fitting, CoastGuard-approved flotationdevices (life vests) and use themwhenever a child is near water.Check the weight and size rec-ommendations on the label.Make sure it fits your childsnugly. For children youngerthan 5, choose a vest with astrap between the legs and headsupport — the collar will keepthe child's head up and his/herface out of the water. Inflatablevests and arm devices such aswater wings are not effectiveagainst drowning.

The bath-room isfull ofdangersfor ayoungchild.Neverleave ayoung child unattended in thebathroom, especially whilebathing — even if the childappears to be secure in a safetytub or bath ring.

Awareness can go a long way inpreventing injuries outside the

home. Find out where the waterhazards in your neighborhoodare. Who has a pool or waterspa? Where are the retainingponds or creeks that may attractchildren? Make neighbors whohave pools aware that you havea young child and ask them tokeep their gates locked.

Water play can be a great sourceof fun and exercise. Everyonewill enjoy the water experiencemore by knowing and practicingwater safety precautions.

Source: www.primarychildrens.com/kidshealth

• Always lock car doors andtrunks - even at home - andkeep keys out of reach.

• Watch children closely aroundcars, particularly when load-ing or unloading items.

• Always make sure all childpassengers have left the carwhen you reach your destina-tion.

• Don't overlook sleepinginfants.

• When restraining children in acar that has been parked in theheat, check to make sure seat-ing surfaces and equipment

(car seat and seat belt buckles)aren't overly hot.

• If your child gets lockedinside a car, get him out anddial 9-1-1 or your local emer-gency number immediately.

• Use a thin covering to shadethe seat of your parked car.Consider using windshieldshades in front and back win-dows.

• Car trunks can be especiallyhazardous. Keep the trunklocked at all times, especiallywhen parked in the drivewayor near the home.

• Contact your automobile deal-ership about getting your vehi-cle retrofitted with a trunkrelease mechanism.

• Keep the rear fold-down seatsclosed to help prevent kidsfrom getting into the trunkfrom inside the car.

• Be wary of child-resistantlocks. Teach older childrenhow to disable the driver'sdoor locks if they unintention-ally become entrapped in amotor vehicle.

Remember: Never leave yourchild alone in or around cars.

4

Aproud

member of the

Box 142106, SLC, UT 84114 (801) 538-6852

Honorary ChairJacalyn S. Leavitt

SpokespersonRoma Downey

Lead OrganizationViolence and Injury Prevention Program

Member OrganizationsUtah Department of Health

Primary Children’s Medical CenterRegence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah

State Farm InsuranceStar 102.7

Free & Accepted Masons of UtahUtah State Office of Education

Utah Safety CouncilUtah Department of Public Safety

AAA UtahUtah Poison Control Center

Utah PTAAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, Utah Chapter

Larry H. Miller ChevroletChevron

KSTU Fox 13

Utah

Coalition©

The Utah SAFE KIDS Coalitionthanks Regence BlueCrossBlueShield of Utah, and theUtah Medical Association

Foundation for their generouscontributions which allowed us to

produce this newsletter.

Worry-Free Summer (from page 3)

child. If a child is unintention-ally poisoned, treatment mayinclude inducing vomiting byipecac syrup. Use only on theadvice of the Poison ControlCenter (1-800-222-1222) or aphysician. Keep these andother emergency numbers byevery phone in the home.

• Keep beds and cribs awayfrom windows and drapery.Children can strangle in drap-ery cords or fall from win-dows that are near the bed orcrib. Retrofit current blindswith safety devices or consid-er purchasing cordless win-dow coverings. Never tiestrings on pacifiers or hangpurses on doorknobs.

• Check thehouse forfire haz-ards. Lookfor obvious fire hazards suchas frayed electrical wires orflammable materials near heatsources such as space heaters.Never run electrical cordsunder rugs.

• Install carbon monoxide(CO) alarms in every sleepingarea in your home and checkbatteries monthly. CO is a col-orless, odorless gas producedby fuel burning appliances.Exposure to even low levels ofthis poisonous gas can be fatalto a small child.

• Use safety gates. Stairsare particularly danger-ous and falls from stairstend to result in moresevere injuries. Use safe-ty gates both at the topand bottom of stairs.

• Do not allow children to walk around with silverware,lollipops or toothbrushes intheir mouth.

• Never use baby walkers onwheels. Use walker alterna-tives or stationary activitycenters.

• If firearms are kept in thehouse, keep them locked,unloaded and stored out ofreach. Secure ammunition in aseparate, locked location.

• Keep first aid supplies onhand. Make sure parents andother caregivers know whereto find the supplies in yourhome and how to respond inan emergency.

Source: National SAFE KIDSCampaign

KIDS + CARS = DANGER (from page 2)

Hazards in Your Home (from page 2)

CHILD PROOFYOUR HOME

ThankYou

The Utah SAFE KIDSCoalition wishes to thank the

following major sponsors:

KSTU Fox 13

Star 102.7 FM

State Farm Insurance

Traumatic Brain InjurySurveillance &

Prevention Project

Home DepotTheir generous contributionshave made the 2003 SAFE

KIDS Week celebration pos-sible, and help make Utah a

safer place for kids.

When our children need an extra dose of love or concern, we don’t hesitate to ‘wrap our arms around them’ and offer a comforting hug. This summer, the Utah SAFE KIDS Coalition asks par-ents to “Wrap Your Arms Around Safety, ” too, inanother very important show of love and concernfor your children.

Wrap Your Arms Around Safety is the theme forSAFE KIDS Week 2003 — May 3-17. During thistime, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and theUtah SAFE KIDS Coalition will educate parentsabout traumatic brain injury prevention, fire and burn safety, car seat installation, drowning prevention and more.

SAFE KIDS encourages par-ents and kids to drop byone of the events happening near you to learn about safety.Activities like bike rodeos, fingerprinting, helmet fitting sta-tions, rock climbing walls and more will be provided to teach

families essential information about being safe.

We know that the leading cause of death for childrenunder the age of 14 is unintentional injury. The realtragedy is that most of these deaths are preventable.Often all it takes is a helmet, car seat or smoke detector

to save a life. These items are inexpensive, and asmall price to pay for saving someone’s life.

Prevention is the key. It is estimated that, by takingsimple precau-

tions, nearly all(90%) of theseunintentionalinjuries canbe avoided.

So the nexttime youwrap yourarms arounda child,remember towrap themaround safety, too. Formore information on allareas of child injury preven-tion, visit the SAFE KIDSWeb site at www.safekids.org.

THESENTINELSpring/

Summer2003

S a f e K i d s A r e N o A c c i d e n t !

M a k i n g U t a h a S a f e r P l a c e f o r K i d s

inside ...Playing With Fire . . . 2

Hiding in Plain Sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

If It Has Wheels . . . .3

A Wet, Wild and Worry-Free Summer . . . . 4

U t a h

SAFE KIDS

C o a l i t i o n

WRAP YOUR ARMS AROUND SAFETYTo learn about the SAFE KIDS eventshappening in your area, contact yourlocal SAFE KIDS coordinator:

Utah State SK Coalition:Rachel Smith . . . . . . . .(801) 538-6852Janet Brooks . . . . . . . .(801) 588-3683

Bear River SK Coalition:Todd Barson . . . . . . . .(435) 792-6511

Carbon/Emery SK Chapter:Georgina Nowak . . . . .(435) 637-3671Martin Wilson . . . . . . .(435) 381-2404

Central Utah SK Chapter:Terry Smith . . . . . . . . .(435) 896-2780

Davis County SK Coalition:Teresa Smith . . . . . . . .(801) 451-3586

Great Basin SK Chapter:Dean Shields . . . . . . . .(435) 743-6530Sharon Blad . . . . . . . . .(435) 743-5591

Salt Lake County SK Coalition:Andrea Richardson . . .(801) 313-6607

Southern Utah SK Chapter:RuthAnn Adams . .(435) 673-3528 x54Emilie Isham . . . . . . . .(435) 586-7050Faelyn Kartchner . . . . .(435) 865-7701

Summit County SK Chapter:Geri Essen . . . . . . . . . .(435) 615-3912

Tooele County SK Chapter:Brenda Nelson . . . . . . .(435) 843-2338

Tri-County SK Chapter:Toni Fenn . . . . . . . . . .(435) 781-5471

Utah County SK Chapter:Bonnie Hargreaves . . . .(801) 370-8735

Wasatch County SK Chapter:Amber George . . . . . . .(435) 657-3259Jonelle Fitzgerald . . . . .(435) 657-3260

Weber/Morgan SK Chapter:Jann Fawcett . . . . . . . .(801) 399-8165Kristie Larson . . . . . . .(801) 399-8428

SAFE KIDS EVENTS