Spring Break By the Water? Boat Safety Tips You Need to Know

As this middle of the school year is upon us, so too is spring break. Spring break is a popular time to travel or to just stay home and spend time with the family. Many families choose to spend time on the water. Here in south Florida, and I am guessing everywhere there is accessible water, the activity level on the water gets very busy during spring break and with an increased level in boating, comes an increased level of emergencies, most of which can be avoided. If you are planning to head out on the water this spring break season, please take the proper precautions.

Here is a list of the most common things we see when emergencies happen on the water:

1. Please have a working knowledge of how to operate a water craft before heading out. The first time you operate your new boat or jet-ski should not be on a major water holiday with your family on board.
2. Your water craft should be checked before putting it in the water. You don’t want to get stuck in the ocean with no gas, a radio that does not work, and no lights. Please do not boat at night unless you are an experienced boater.
3. There are coast guard regulations as to what specific items may be required in your state, such as life jackets or flares, so make sure to have all the necessary gear. Every passenger should be wearing life jackets! ESPECIALLY KIDS!
4. No texting and driving. This is not just a slogan for cars. This applies to watercraft as well. Texting and boating is being linked to more and more boating accidents.
5. No drinking and driving. This is linked to more water accidents than anything else. I get it, it’s a holiday, you are enjoying yourself, but save the drinking for when you get to where you are going and have a designated driver if you have to drink. By the way boating under the influence or (BUI) is the same as DUI in many states so something else to think about before drinking and driving on the water.
6. And finally: Slow Down! Boats can go just as fast as cars, are just as deadly as cars, and are 10 times harder to control. Please slow down and enjoy the ride and make sure you and your crew arrive and enjoy your time together.

There are many more things that go into boating safety. The bottom line is that most or all of the things we commonly see causing emergencies on the water are preventable and should be done beforehand or decided on before leaving the dock.

Please be safe and have a great spring break!

Beware of Plug In Devices: They Can Put Your Family At Risk

Do you have a device that plugs in? Sure you do. Otherwise how are you reading this? The point is we all have devices that plug in around our home. Whether it’s a device such as a phone or tablet or a device to make a room smell better, it is a fact of life now that we plug a lot of stuff in. Some devices are plugged in and left there until they die and some devices are plugged and unplugged daily for recharging. While we have become used to this every day routine of plug and play and really don’t think much about it, it really does require a bit of thought given the fact that some of these chargers and batteries can get pretty hot and have been responsible for some horrific fires, emergencies, and even deaths.

By now I am sure we have all seen the videos on t.v or online with the new hover boards catching on fire out of nowhere and even causing damage to homes as well. When charging an electrical device there are some basic steps to keep in mind while doing so:

1. Do not put the item on anything flammable like a bed or couch
2. Do not put the item plugged in under anything flammable like a cloth or blanket for the same reason.
3. Do not put furniture resting directly up against an outlet, whether something is charging or not. There are power surges and all it takes is one spark and the bed or couch can catch fire instantly.
4. Do not wrap the charging cable with anything flammable. The cables can get hot as well and so can the wrap.
5. When using scent devices that plug in, do NOT refill them with aftermarket liquid not specifically designed for the device.
6. When possible, put all the devices charging on a surge protector.
7. If you have any concerns about your outlets or electrical concerns, please contact a licensed electrician for assistance.

While the companies that make these different products all back their equipment, they all also stand together in warning the public that the cheap versions of their products from overseas have little of the safety designs in them to prevent these disasters, thus that is why they are so cheap. In other words, you get what you pay for.

While nothing is fool proof and accidents will happen, taking a quick look around your home and garage and seeing about those batteries that have been charging for days and weeks and that tablet charging on the bed, we can do our part to make sure that a little safety goes a long way.

Thank you and please be safe!

Photo credit: Urban Wheel – Flo Board / Swegway / Hoverboard / Rideable;Ben Larcey; CC license

Dangerous Situations, Scary Statistics: Be Aware for Safe Holidays

With the Holiday season ramping up into full swing I thought it would be a good idea to share some information we have been going over in the firehouse in preparation for the Holidays. Everything from fires to falls to poisonings. I am very big on statistics and these numbers can be very eye opening but also very helpful if you keep them in mind this holiday season. I am borrowing this from the The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) in the hopes that you have a happy and safe holidays and don’t make Santa visit anyone in the hospital.

While the winter holiday season is traditionally a festive time of year filled with colorful decorations and family gatherings, it is too often a time of tragedy and loss as well. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics indicate that 30% of all home fires and 38% of home fire deaths occur during the months of December, January, and February. These winter fires result from a variety of sources. According to reports from the United States Fire Administration (USFA), incidence of fires caused by cooking, heating, and open flame all increase during the winter holidays. USFA also notes that winter holiday fires are more severe than the average fire during the year across all loss measures. Holiday decoration and Christmas tree fires, in particular, are substantially more damaging than other fires. These fires result in twice the injuries and five times the fatalities per fire as the average winter holiday home fire. During 2004-2008, an average of 260 home fires each year started with Christmas trees. Another 150 home fires per year were caused by decorative and holiday lights.

Fire is not the only danger facing families during the holiday season. Injuries resulting from falls are a serious concern this time of year as well. About 5,800 individuals are treated annually in hospital emergency rooms for injuries sustained from falls involving holiday decorations. In addition, 4,000 people a year are treated in emergency rooms for injuries associated with extension cords. Half of these injuries involve fractures, lacerations, contusions, or sprains as a result of people tripping over the cords.

The risk of poisonings also increases during the holiday period, resulting not only from common household items, but also carbon monoxide (CO). The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that in 2007 the majority of CO deaths occurred in the colder months of November through February.

Fire-Related Statistics

U.S. Home Structure Fires:

• During 2005-2009, there was an average of 373,900 home fires each year, resulting in an annual average of 2,650 deaths, 12,890 injuries, and $7.1 billion in property damage.
• During 2005-2009, roughly one of every 310 households had a reported home fire per year.
• Almost half of home fires (47%) and more than half (54%) of home fire deaths occur in the cooler months of November through March.

Cooking Fires:

• Cooking equipment is the leading cause of reported home structure fires and injuries. It is also the leading cause of unreported fires.
• During 2004-2008, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 154,700 home cooking fires each year. These fires caused an annual average of 460 deaths, 4,850 injuries, and $724 million in property damage.
• Unattended cooking equipment is the leading cause of home cooking fires.
• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that in 2004-2005, for every household cooking fire reported to the fire department, U.S. households experienced 50 cooking equipment fires that they did not report.
• Two of every five reported home fires started in the kitchen or cooking area.
• Home fires involving cooking peak on dates that are major U.S. holidays with traditions of cooking, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Christmas Eve.

Heating Fires:

• Heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires and home fire deaths.
• In 2008, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 66,100 home fires, resulting in 480 deaths, 1,660 injuries and $1.1 billion in property damage.
• Space heaters result in far more fires and losses than central heating devices and have higher risks relative to usage.
• 32% of home heating fires (approximately 21,000) and 82% of home heating fire deaths (394) are caused by space heaters.

Electrical Fires:

• Home electrical distribution and lighting systems are the fourth leading cause of home fires, after cooking equipment, heating equipment, and intentional fires.
• In the United States, 50,900 fires each year are attributed to electrical failure or malfunction, resulting in 490 deaths and 1,440 injuries. Arcing faults are a major cause of these fires.
• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that AFCIs could prevent more than 50 percent of the electrical fires that occur every year.
• About 3,300 residential fires originate in extension cords each year, killing 50 people and injuring about 270 others.

Home Fire Victims:

• Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
• Children under five years old are almost 1-1/2 times more likely to die in a home fire as the average person.
• The peak months for home fires that cause child casualties are December through February.
• In 2007, nearly 510 children under the age of 15 died as a result of fires, another estimated 1,900 children were injured by fires.
• Adults over age 65 are more than twice as likely as the average person to die in a home fire.
• In one of every five fire deaths, the fire started when something that could catch fire was too close to a heat source.

Household Injuries and Accidents

• More than 30,000 non-fatal shock accidents occur each year.
• Each year in the U.S., more than 100,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to a scalding injury.
• Hot tap water accounts for nearly 1 in 4 of all scald burns among children and is associated with more deaths and hospitalizations than any other hot liquid burns.
• Each day, nearly 7 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for electrical shock or burn injuries caused by tampering with a wall outlet.
• In 2007, over 98,000 children ages 14 and under were treated for burn injuries in hospital emergency rooms.
• The most common causes of product-related thermal burn injuries among children ages 14 and under are hair curlers, curling irons, room heaters, ovens/ranges, and irons.
• In 2009, ranges and ovens were involved in an estimated 17,300 thermal burn injuries seen in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. 36% (5,600) of these burn victims were under the age of 5.
• Heating equipment accounted for 58,660 injuries reported to hospital emergency rooms in 2009. Space heaters accounted for 19% of the total injuries, but more than two-thirds of the thermal burn injuries.
• For every 10 poison exposures in children, approximately 9 occur in the home.

Decorating Statistics

• In 2004-2008, an estimated 1,170 home fires per year began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees. These fires caused an annual average of 8 deaths, 54 injuries, and $19.1 million in property damage.
• Christmas tree and holiday decoration fires result in twice the injuries and 5 times more fatalities per fire than the average winter holiday fire.
• On average, 260 home fires begin with Christmas trees each year, resulting in 12 deaths, 24 injuries and $16.4 million in property damage.
• An additional 150 home fires per year begin with holiday lights and other decorative lighting, causing another 8 deaths, 16 injuries, and $8.9 million in property damage each year.
• Candles started 45% of home decoration fires.
• December is the peak time of year for candle fires.
• Christmas, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Day are the top 3 days of the year for candle fires.
• Roughly 5,800 people per year were treated in hospital emergency rooms for falls associated with holiday decorations. More than half of these injuries were caused by falls from ladders or roofs while decorating outdoors.
• CPSC estimates that each year, about 4,000 injuries associated with electric extension cords are treated in hospital emergency rooms. 50% of these injuries involve fractures, lacerations, contusions, or sprains from people tripping over extension cords. 13% of these injuries involve children less than five years of age; electrical burns to the mouth accounted for 50% of the injuries to young children.

Fatality Statistics:

• Each year, there is an estimated average of 60 electrocutions associated with consumer products. The three most common product categories associated with electrocutions are small appliance, power tool, and lighting equipment.
• Every year in the U.S., more than 2,600 people are killed in home fires.
• In the U.S., injury is the leading cause of death among children and young adults, and nearly half of these accidents occur in the home, according to the National Safety Council.
• Worldwide, accidental injury kills more than 2,000 children each and every day.
• According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 70 percent of child-related electrical accidents occur at home, when adult supervision is present.
• Fires and burns are the third leading cause of unintentional death among children 14 and under.
• On average, 184 people die each year from non-fire, carbon monoxide poisoning associated with consumer products. The two most common product categories associated with non-fire carbon monoxide deaths are engine-driven tools (38%) and heating systems (38%).

I hope these numbers give you some things to keep in mind this holiday season and keep you and your family safe.

Have a Happy Holidays

Greg.

Editor’s Note: Why share this scary information right before the holidays? Because most of these situations are preventable! Sometimes all it takes is a little awareness to avert a tragedy. Be aware…be safe…and have a happy and healthy holiday!

Have Insomnia? The Risks of Mixing Ambien and Parenthood

If people can have no memory of driving, eating or having sex under the influence of Ambien, how can parents who use this medication limit risk to their children?

Have you ever suffered from severe insomnia? If you have you know just how critical regular, decent sleep is to normal daily function, mood, physical health, family dynamics….everything! I suffered from horrible insomnia off and on for a few years. It started when my son was born – when my “mommy” senses kicked in and woke me up at the slightest noise. And then it got worse when I started traveling a lot for work and I developed a painful and chronic back problem. It got to the point where I could only function by using a rotating schedule of sleep aids…Tylenol PM, NyQuil, and prescription sleeping pills.

One of the most effective – at least in the short-term – was Ambien (also known as Zolpidem). Ambien is part of a constellation of drugs called sedative-hypnotics. This grouping also includes other well-known medications such as Klonopin, Xanax and Valium (all of the benzodiazepine class). Ambien and Lunesta are not “benzos” but are related types of sedative-hypnotics. For someone suffering from insomnia, or traveling internationally across many time zones, Ambien can seem like a gift from the gods. You fall deeply asleep almost instantly….at least at first….and even if you wake up before your alarm, you feel more rested than you have in a long, long time.

But after using Ambien for a while – admittedly for longer than the 7-10 days recommended by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and medical websites – I learned there are several downsides to using Ambien. First of all, you can develop tolerance to the medication through repeated use – which means it can take longer for the effect to kick-in and it may seem less effective if you’ve been using it for a long period of time. Also, according to the FDA package insert, you can develop a “drugged feeling” with use of around a month or more. But the most talked about issues with Ambien are what the medical community calls “abnormal thinking and behavioral changes”. This includes reports of “sleep-driving” and other behaviors reported while under the influence of Ambien, such as eating at night or having sex – with no memories of these activities in the morning.

Some of these odd sleep-behaviors can be comical. One woman found that she had painted her front door during the night, while another was experiencing unexplained weight gain that turned out to be caused by late-night Ambien-induced food binges (see this link). My hairstylist told me of a male client that “cut” his hair under the influence of Ambien. The result was terrible – with sections of hair cut so close to the scalp that it’s a wonder he didn’t badly injure himself. He was mortified and she had to give him a buzz cut to fix the problem!

However, other reports of Ambien side effects are much more alarming. There have been several reports of car accidents – most famously Patrick Kennedy’s 2006 crash – and people who wake up in police custody or the ER after Ambien-affected driving. Plus Ambien-related ER visits have skyrocketed in recent years, with women much more affected than men. Also a friend told me of her nighttime Ambien-fueled cooking sessions that resulted in bloody fingers from using her sharp kitchen knives under the influence.

But with all these issues, one thing really stood out for me….no one is talking about the risks of parents of young children using Ambien or medications like it. If you can sleep-drive and crash your car under the influence of Ambien, what’s to prevent you from taking your kid along? What about cutting your child’s hair or letting them help you “cook”? And how might your kids cope if an emergency happens and they can’t wake you? Even if these extreme situations may be rare, you might do or say some things you regret later. For example, I once took Ambien before putting my son to bed (remember that tolerance development I mentioned earlier??) and during reading time proceeded to explain how we needed to build a carousel in our bathroom! That might seem like a fun conversation for a toddler, but Elliott was old enough to know that Mom was behaving strangely….and it kind of freaked him out. Another time, I told him my iTunes password….I had no memory of it later, but new apps/games (granted, mostly free) started showing up on my phone after I let him play on it. His defense? “But Mom, when I asked you for your password, you just told me!” What can I say to that?

I’m in no way suggesting that people shouldn’t use Ambien. That is a personal decision between you and your doctor – and Ambien can really help with insomnia, which I well know is a very real and serious condition. Instead I think it could help if we (experienced Ambien users) started sharing the issues and challenges we’ve faced mixing Ambien use with parenthood and any advice we would have liked to have gotten when we started using sedative-hypnotics. So here is my attempt:

• If there are two adults in the house, plan for only one to take a sedative-hypnotic medication on any given night – and communicate when you are taking one so the other person is alerted
• For women, make sure you are taking the lower dose of Ambien recommended by the FDA in 2013 (5 mg for immediate-release rather than 10mg for men, and 6.25 mg for extended-release rather than men’s 12.5 mg) – women clear the drug more slowly than men and studies have shown more next-day drowsiness and driving impairment in women
• Skip the Ambien if you’ve had any alcohol or have taken other medications that can influence the brain – like narcotic pain relievers (e.g. medications including hydrocodone or oxycodone) or other anti-anxiety and insomnia medications – these combinations are associated with increases in Ambien-related ER visits
• Even if you are finding the Ambien is taking longer to work….don’t take it until you get into bed, especially if your kids are still up – you may be surprised the next morning by what you did or said!…(see earlier)
• Consider telling your children that you will be very sleepy that night – maybe because you aren’t feeling well – so they shouldn’t bother you in the night unless it’s an emergency (we didn’t want to tell our son that mom was taking a medication to sleep, although I did when he was older and understood my health and sleep challenges)
  • The one Ambien/parent story I found on the internet was about a mom whose son threw up on her while she was sleeping because he wasn’t feeling well but couldn’t wake her (even though Dad was also in the bed!) so make sure your kids know to ask the other parent for help that night
• If you are the only adult in the house, think about asking a close friend or family member to be “on call” if something ever happens when you’ve taken an Ambien – you can tell your children to contact them in the night if something serious happens and leave a note with the number somewhere obvious on an Ambien night
• If you can, limit how often you take Ambien, possibly by alternating other non-hypnotic sleep aids or by using alternative therapies – I was able to drastically cut my use of insomnia medication through acupuncture treatments and mindfulness meditation (though I know this won’t work for everyone)
• And, finally, be kind to yourself…using Ambien on occasion doesn’t make you a bad parent – being severely sleep-deprived can though!

The Dangerous Side of Holiday Decorating: Keep Your Family Safe

It’s time. It’s time to start opening up those bins and getting ready to decorate your home for the festivities to come. Decorating is always the part we love and hate at the same time because we know whatever we put up, we are going to eventually have to take down and there has always been a tiny worry of injury when decorating, whether it’s the tree in the house or the lights and extras on the outside of the house, it’s never really been a big deal.

Seeing an increase in our holiday injury emergency room runs prompted me to take a look at some statistics on the subject and what I found was very eye opening. For the years 2004-2008 the Electrical Safety Foundation provided these statistics :

Decorating Statistics

• In 2004-2008, an estimated 1,170 home fires per year began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees. These fires caused an annual average of 8 deaths, 54 injuries, and $19.1 million in property damage.
• Christmas tree and holiday decoration fires result in twice the injuries and 5 times more fatalities per fire than the average winter holiday fire.
• On average, 260 home fires begin with Christmas trees each year, resulting in 12 deaths, 24 injuries and $16.4 million in property damage.
• An additional 150 home fires per year begin with holiday lights and other decorative lighting, causing another 8 deaths, 16 injuries, and $8.9 million in property damage each year.
• Candles started 45% of home decoration fires.
• December is the peak time of year for candle fires.
• Christmas, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Day are the top 3 days of the year for candle fires.
• Roughly 5,800 people per year were treated in hospital emergency rooms for falls associated with holiday decorations. More than half of these injuries were caused by falls from ladders or roofs while decorating outdoors.
• CPSC estimates that each year, about 4,000 injuries associated with electric extension cords are treated in hospital emergency rooms. 50% of these injuries involve fractures, lacerations, contusions, or sprains from people tripping over extension cords. 13% of these injuries involve children less than five years of age; electrical burns to the mouth accounted for 50% of the injuries to young children.

Household Injuries and Accidents:

• More than 30,000 non-fatal shock accidents occur each year.
• Each year in the U.S., more than 100,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms due to a scalding injury.
• Hot tap water accounts for nearly 1 in 4 of all scald burns among children and is associated with more deaths and hospitalizations than any other hot liquid burns.
• Each day, nearly 7 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for electrical shock or burn injuries caused by tampering with a wall outlet.
• In 2007, over 98,000 children ages 14 and under were treated for burn injuries in hospital emergency rooms.
• The most common causes of product-related thermal burn injuries among children ages 14 and under are hair curlers, curling irons, room heaters, ovens/ranges, and irons.
• In 2009, ranges and ovens were involved in an estimated 17,300 thermal burn injuries seen in U.S. hospital emergency rooms. 36% (5,600) of these burn victims were under the age of 5.
• Heating equipment accounted for 58,660 injuries reported to hospital emergency rooms in 2009. Space heaters accounted for 19% of the total injuries, but more than two-thirds of the thermal burn injuries.
• For every 10 poison exposures in children, approximately 9 occur in the home.

Fatality Statistics:

• Each year, there is an estimated average of 60 electrocutions associated with consumer products. The three most common product categories associated with electrocutions are small appliance, power tool, and lighting equipment.
• Every year in the U.S., more than 2,600 people are killed in home fires.
• In the U.S., injury is the leading cause of death among children and young adults, and nearly half of these accidents occur in the home, according to the National Safety Council.
• Worldwide, accidental injury kills more than 2,000 children each and every day.
• According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 70 percent of child-related electrical accidents occur at home, when adult supervision is present.
• Fires and burns are the third leading cause of unintentional death among children 14 and under.
• On average, 184 people die each year from non-fire, carbon monoxide poisoning associated with consumer products. The two most common product categories associated with non-fire carbon monoxide deaths are engine-driven tools (38%) and heating systems (38%).

So as you can see, Decorating can be dangerous business and should be given the proper respect and preparation it deserves. Mixing people, electricity, water, and fire are not a good mix.

Be safe, be prepared and Happy Holidays.

Advice to Prepare for a Lost Child at Amusement Parks

A neighbor and I were recently sharing stories about past family trips to Disney World when she described her strategies for dealing with the possibility of a lost child at the amusement park. While we had both experienced anxiety about the idea of losing a precious little one, Pamela was much more organized and forward-thinking than I had been. But perhaps that was because she had 3 kids in tow under the age of 7 and was part of an extended family group, including a total of 8 over-excited kiddos!

To help in the event of a lost child, each morning she lined all the children up against a wall and took individual full-length photos of each child with her cell phone so she could describe what any one of them was wearing that day. As she said, “It’s impossible to keep track of who’s got what on over several days.” Additionally, when they first arrived, she wrote her cell phone number on the inside of each child’s shirt with a Sharpie (“As a mom, I always travel with a Sharpie,” she told me). What good advice! I wished I had thought to do the same when my son was younger, and it got me wondering what other suggestions there are for dealing with the possibility of losing a child in a large place like an amusement park.

So here’s a summary of what I found – a great deal of good advice and strategies to use this summer at water or amusement parks – or anywhere you and your little ones find large crowds enjoying the great summer weather.

Talk before you walk. Impress upon your kids the reasons for sticking with the group and how to stay together – like always holding hands, paying attention to what mom and dad are wearing, etc. But prepare and discuss in advance a plan should someone get separated – like meeting at an identified location (if your children are old enough and confident about finding the spot), knowing where the “lost children” center is in the park you are visiting, or telling your child to find someone to help if he’s lost.

NOTE: Current advice now says to tell your child to ask for help from a mommy with little children, rather than a (often male) security guard/someone with a badge and uniform, since it is almost unheard of for a woman to be a predator and badges can be faked.

Mark your precious cargo. You can use a Sharpie on clothing like my friend Pamela did, but don’t use it directly on your child’s skin as these markers contain chemicals that are industrial solvents. You can write on other items like rubber bracelets or name tags, but be sure to use waterproof markers to avoid smearing that valuable information. Also, you can now get temporary tattoos – like Safety Tat – customized with your phone number or a child’s health information, which might make safety planning more effective and fun for the kids.

Description prescription. If you’ve ever lost a child (guilty!) you know the first thing the authorities ask is “What is your child wearing.” And they aren’t just looking for an answer like: “Uh, a t-shirt and cargo shorts…I think?” Each day of a vacation could you recall what color and design of shirt, shorts, socks and shoes each or your kids is wearing? And did they have sunglasses or a hat? A bag? Certainly one popular way to address this issue is to dress everyone in the group alike (or at least the kids). But it can be tough to get enough CLEAN versions of the same clothes – so that’s why I like my friend, Pamela’s, daily photo shoot.

Happy 4th of July!

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