Summer, Families and BBQ Safety

Last updated on October 5th, 2015 at 11:12 pm

It’s official, the kids are out of school and summer is here. All the things that happen during the summer will soon be upon us and grilling on the barbeque is certainly on that list. The list of safety precautions for the 4th of July and fireworks is a mile long and will be on every news station for the coming weeks. What will not get too much air time is the list of safety tips for Barbeque grills and the dangers of grilling. Being in the Firefighting profession, I have seen what happens when people take the Barbeque for granted and do not give the grill the amount of respect and preparation it deserves. From terrible burns to adults and children to house fires, grills definitely deserves your attention.

Grilling facts from NFPA

Be sure to use safe grilling practices as the peak months for grilling fires approach – June and July. Gas grills constitute a higher risk, having been involved in an annual average of 7,200 home fires in 2007-2011, while charcoal or other solid-fueled grills were involved in an annual average of 1,400 home fires.

Facts & figures

• In 2007-2011, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 8,800 home and outside fires. These 8,800 fires caused an annual average of 10 civilian deaths, 140 civilian injuries and $96 million in direct property damage.
• More than one-quarter (27%) of the home structure fires involving grills started on a courtyard, terrace or patio, 29% started on an exterior balcony or open porch, and 6% started in the kitchen.
• In almost half (43%) of the home outdoor fires in which grills were involved, half (51%) of the outside gas grills, and 29% of gas grill structure fires, the fire started when a flammable or combustible gas or liquid caught fire.

So while the grill is going and the steaks are on this summer, please remember that you need to be aware of the grill at all times. Now, when the grill and kids are brought together, there is an added level of awareness needed. Kids are naturally curious and that can be very dangerous when a live burning barbeque is involved so when the kids are around it is a good idea to introduce them to the barbeque and establish some safety rules such as a safety zone around the grill and not walking behind the grill and having a zero touching policy.

While at the Trauma center this past year with an adult patient, I met the parents of a 5 year old girl who was in surgery because their daughter had grabbed the grates on the grill and severely burned her hands. The father told me took his eyes off the grill for 1 minute to get a drink and that’s when his daughter went to the grill. It happens that fast.

So please be safe with the grill this summer. Have fun, eat well but be safe.

The Dark Side of Golf Carts: Hidden Danger for your Family

Last updated on August 13th, 2015 at 04:24 pm

If you have gone to play golf in the last 30 years or so, then you are probably familiar with golf carts. Playing golf and driving the cart around the course are part of what makes playing golf so much fun and up until a few years ago, golf carts have mainly been relegated to golf courses and maybe some fancy golf retirement communities around the country. But if you look around now, golf carts are everywhere. No longer are golf carts relegated to the golf course and surrounding communities. Golf carts and golf cart ownership have gone through the roof. Market research firm IBIS World forecasts that by 2016, 76,685 golf carts will be sold annually in the U.S and according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS,) all but four states have laws that allow golf carts or other low speed vehicles to be driven on public roads. Alaska and Texas even let them be driven on roads with speed limits up to 45 mph, showing that golf carts are becoming a part of our everyday lives and accommodating them will be the next step.

Down here in sunny south Florida, golf carts are almost as common as cars. They have made taking the family to work, school, the park, and any place close by a much easier and more fun way to travel. Not to mention the cost effectiveness of saving on gas these days. When I drop my son at school I easily see 10 children being dropped off by parents in a golf cart and there are even golf cart parking spots in the teacher’s parking lot. There is no doubt golf carts are more fun. However, golf carts are giving people a false sense of security. When these carts were mainly on golf courses and driven by adults you rarely if ever heard of a serious accident involving one, but now with the exploding popularity and varying age range and experience of the drivers, this is changing as well and especially for children.

During 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports dozens of people died in golf-cart related accidents. According to The University of Alabama at Birmingham, the national estimate for golf cart-related injuries was more than 15,000 annually during its recent four-year study. The injuries were highest among males, ages 10 to 19, and those 80 and older with fractures and head trauma being the most common injuries found in the study. According to an article in the July 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the rate of injury related to golf cart accidents rose more than 130 percent from 1990 to 2006. During this period, about 147,000 golf cart-related injuries were reported involving people as old as 96 years and as young as two months.

The numbers do not lie. Golf carts have a dark side and need to be taken more seriously both by lawmakers and parents.

From my own experience as a paramedic, what I’m seeing is that this is only getting worse.  People are making the carts faster and the drivers are getting younger.  We had a case here where a teenager flipped his cart with his 5 year old sister in the cart and we had to trauma alert the 5 year old.  She ended up fine but it was still scary.

If you do happen to own one or are thinking about buying one for you and your family, think as you would when buying a car, think safety first. Seat belts are standard in cars and with the main injury from golf carts being ejection from the cart; they should be in your cart as well. Even if your local laws do not require lights, reflectors, a horn and safety belts, they should all be a part of your vehicle, because a golf cart is a vehicle and you will be sharing the road with actual cars. When driving the cart, please remember to drive safely, the website www.golfcartsafety.com has a great webpage and article on safely operating your golf cart, please take a look at this article before heading out or handing over the keys to anyone driving your cart.

As always, I hope you all have a happy and great summer and above all a Safe Summer.

His House Burned: Now He’s Trying to Keep Your Family Safe

Last updated on February 25th, 2014 at 11:34 am

On April 21, 2011 Dave Miller survived an extraordinary and terribly painful experience – he watched as his house burned down.  The cause – something he never would have suspected: his old 9-volt batteries.

Ironically the fire was the unintentional result of an act he (like many of us) performed regularly to keep his family safe: every Daylight Savings Time he replaced the batteries in his smoke detectors.  According to Dave, after installing the new batteries, he had placed the old 9-volt batteries in a paper bag to take to recycling and stored them in the garage. That is where the blaze began.

Here is Dave’s story…

According to the official fire report, the loose batteries came together and shorted.  Unfortunately, with 9-volt batteries it doesn’t take much – especially since the positive and negative terminals are located on the same side and so close together.  For those of you that read this and wonder how is this possible (like I have to admit I did upon first reading this), according to an advisory issued by New Hampshire’s Fire Marshall, and echoed by firefighters and insurance adjusters around the country, the danger is in fact, very real.  Junk drawers are an especially volatile environment. 

According to Grandview, MO, Fire Department Chief Chuck Thacker a 9-volt battery can easily spark and fuel a fire, especially in the inviting environment of a household junk drawer. “There’s all the other stuff; car keys, whatever else in there,” he said. “If the conditions get right, you touch something against the two contacts, then you could have a heating event.” The chief said it only takes one metallic object; something like a paper clip, key or bit of steel wool touching the battery’s posts to fuel a fire.

For Dave Miller, batteries in a paper bag that got bumped by a laundry bin resulted in a house that burned down.  And a message that he is on a mission to pass on to other families:

There’s only one safe way to dispose of a 9-volt battery. Place a piece of electrical tape over the terminals so that they’re completely covered. What takes a few moments could save your home, or your family’s lives.

Other key fire safety messages he hopes you will share with your family are posted on his kidsandcharacter.com website:

• Get out and stay out – this is your number one goal in a fire!
• Every second matters. Don’t waste time gathering belongings – they aren’t worth your life.
• Make sure every exit is clear.
• Know two ways out of every room.
• Fire extinguishers are tools for escape only. If a fire is larger than a small trash can, a fire extinguisher won’t put it out.

One final thought:  

…on its packaging, battery company Energizer suggests that travelers cover battery terminals with insulated tape.

 …on that note, I think I will be taping all my future batteries before disposal.  What about you???  

A Not So Shocking Holiday Season (tips to keep your family safe)

Last updated on September 13th, 2015 at 12:11 am

Halloween has just ended and now it’s time to take down the Halloween decorations and bring out the big light shows for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It seems to me that driving around every holiday season, I see more and more lights and inflatables and decorations and among all these things I see extension cords all over the place. I see them in trees, running across yards and roofs and even hooked up to neighboring houses. And that is not even mentioning what is plugged in on the inside of the house. While there is nothing wrong with putting up lights and decorations, there is a level of safety and awareness that goes along with our holiday decorating fun.

The website HolidaySafety.org has some great safety tips to keep in mind this coming holiday season:

Safety Tips

1. When using electricity outdoors, always plug extension cords into GFCI-protected outlets.
2. When working outdoors, use only weather-resistant, heavy gauge extension cords marked “for outdoor use.” These cords have added safeguards designed to withstand the outdoor environment.
3. Keep all outdoor extension cords and light strands clear of snow and standing water, and well protected from the elements.
4. Purchase cords from authorized retailers and check to see that they have been approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
5. Select a cord that is long enough to meet your needs. Never attempt to extend the length of an extension cord by connecting it with another extension cord.
6. Never use a cord that feels hot or is damaged in any way. Touching even a single exposed strand can result in an electric shock or burn.
7. Make sure the extension cord you use is rated for the products to be plugged in and is marked for either indoor or outdoor use.
8. Examine extension cords before each use. Cracked, frayed, or otherwise damaged cords should be replaced immediately.
9. Unplug and safely store after every use. Store cords indoors to keep them protected from damage caused by water and excessive heat.
10. Do not place extension cords in high traffic areas, under carpets or across walkways where they pose a potential tripping hazard.

We all want to have a safe and happy holiday season and put up our decorations, both inside and out, so taking just a little extra time and having a safe and well thought out electrical plan can help make happy memories this holiday season.

Must-See Texting and Driving Video Tells Stories from the Heart

Last updated on August 27th, 2013 at 10:01 am

If you and your older children haven’t yet seen the new texting and driving documentary, “From One Second to the Next,” you really should. While, at 35 minutes, it may be a bit long for kids to want to sit through, the searing emotional stories told from the perspective of victims and their families – and even from those whose text messages caused the loss of life – make this a unique and riveting film.

Made by acclaimed director, Werner Herzog, who – according to IMDb – was voted the 35th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly, this film tells the story of four disturbing and horrific accidents through the people who were impacted or involved, including even the police who responded to the scenes, rather than resorting to visual displays of the tragic accidents. The result is still sometimes difficult to watch, but probably more impactful in the end. You can access the full documentary and also shorter clips via YouTube – and your children may end up seeing it at school as the corporate cell phone sponsors are making 40,000 copies available to government agencies, schools and safety organizations.

The National Safety Council estimates that 100,000 car crashes annually are related to texting and driving, while cell phone conversations are implicated in 12 times as many accidents. This documentary is a potent message about the need to remain “distraction-free” while driving – one which both teens and parents need to hear.

Camping Tips for Safe and Fun Family Bonding Experiences

Last updated on September 12th, 2015 at 10:29 pm

Why on earth would any parent go camping with their kids? Between the packing, the hauling and the dirt, it’s enough to send you running to the Holiday Inn. But it’s these very same rustic realities that make a weekend or even a week in the woods the perfect glue for a great family bonding experience.

“Unlike other types of vacations, you aren’t led around, signs don’t tell you what to do or where to go, there aren’t lines to wait on,” says Rick McClintock, executive director for the National Association for Therapeutic Wilderness Camping. “As a family, you have to depend on each other to create the activities and the structure for the day and to provide the necessities you all need for living.”

Camping isn’t just about working together as a family, of course. It’s about having a blast in a world where the regular rules don’t always apply. Things that may be taboo back at home — starting campfires, skinny-dipping in the moonlight or sliding in the mud — may be perfectly OK in the woods. “My daughter Zoe and I fight so much less when we’re camping, because I’m no longer “the enforcer” that I am at home. She’s more relaxed, I’m more relaxed, and we can both enjoy bending the rules together,” says Jamie Scurletis, 49, of Rumson, N.J. Sound interesting? Here are some tips to get you started:

Cut your teeth with car camping.  Hiking into the woods with kids and setting up a backcountry camp is a recipe for stress if you’ve never done it before. Find a campground that allows you to park your car right next to the spot where you’ll pitch your tent. That means your supplies — and your quick escape — are seconds away.

Start short and stay close.  Think in terms of two nights away and two hours from home. There’s less at stake and less to pack. Save big, long trips for when you’re more confident campers.

Choose a campsite with care.  Campgrounds range from pastoral and peaceful to downright dreadful. Ask friends and family who camp what campgrounds and campsites they suggest. You can also find campground reviews online.

Borrow what you can.  There’s no sense in investing big bucks in all the gear only to find out camping isn’t for you. Ask friends or relatives if you can borrow the basic stuff. Check out The Coleman Company for a laundry list of basics (as well as other good beginner camping tips).

Do your homework.  Find out ahead of time what facilities your campground does and doesn’t have. It’s no fun showing up, for example, and finding out that everyone else has bikes because the woods are laced with great backcountry carriage roads. Do some research about local attractions, such as hiking trails and white-water rafting, as well as rainy-day bailouts like movie theaters and bowling alleys.

Stage a backyard dress rehearsal.  A dry run just a handful of yards from the house can help everyone get comfortable with the idea of camping. It’ll also give you a chance to get acquainted with the tent and other equipment. Now’s the time to discover that the air mattress your neighbor loaned you is flat as a pancake a mere 10 minutes after you blow it up.

Even with careful planning, camping can present real challenges: drenching rains, mosquito swarms or fishhooks in the hand can test even the heartiest camping clans. “There are definitely times that you’ll be sitting under a tarp playing cards as the rain pours down, and thinking, ‘wow, this really stinks,’” says McClintock. “But when you think about it, when’s the last time you and the kids actually played cards together?”

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Editor’s Note:  As a true Canadian, I grew up camping every summer for extended periods and we have been passing that tradition on to our son.  It is a great way to bond doing things you don’t normally get to do – like figuring out where to string a clothesline and making s’mores and popcorn over a fire.  But as the article says, do check out online camping supply lists and make sure you plan for excessive sun and heat as well as rainy days.  After record heat during our camping trip in Kentucky last week we were very grateful for the canopies we brought and the opportunity to do local underground cave tours in cool temperatures.  Also make sure you have a complete first aid kit that is stocked for camping – including burn creams and sunburn treatments.  We found ourselves in need of these but were far from any well-stocked shop or pharmacy.  Hope you have safe and enjoyable camping experiences – they can provide memories to last a lifetime!  Cheers, Audra.

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