Watching her three-and-a-half year old son use a chair to reach countertops, had Natalie Koifman thinking there must be a better, safer way for kids to reach things above their height. So, she invented the “Little Helper” which she hopes will be on the market in a year or so. In the meantime, parents should remember that supervision is key to keeping kids safe - what kids can’t reach, they will climb to get.
Since the process of gaining a license and patent for the “Little Helper” is still ongoing, Koifman is not able to give specific information about the information.
“I can say that it basically acts as a substitute for a chair by providing much better support for a child when he or she stands on it,” Koifman said. “It could possibly cut down on the risk factor.”
Because a lengthy amount of time is spent receiving a license and patent, as well as waiting to be picked up by a major manufacturer, the “Little Helper” may not be out in stores until a few years later.
Boca Raton News - The Leader in Local News Online
ISO ratings are used by your insurance company to help set your homeowners insurance rates. They also can provide some insight into your area’s overall fire safety. ISO rates fire departments and also rates city’s based on building codes.
The Public Protection Classification Program for fire departments rates departments on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best possible score. A score of 10 is not the worst outcome; the worst possible is to fail to qualify for rating. A better rating generally means a better equipped department with better reliable water sources and a better rating results in lower homeowner’s premiums, all other factors being equal. Requirements to receive a rating of 8 or better in the PPC program are:
To receive a Public Protection Classification (PPCTM) of Class 8 or better, a community must first have the minimum facilities and practices needed to get a PPC rating and must meet the minimum criteria for Class 9. In addition, the community must have these additional minimum facilities:
* There must be a minimum water supply of 250 gpm for a two-hour duration for fire protection in the area.
If the fire department delivers the 250 gpm through tanker shuttle, large-diameter hose, or other alternative water supply, the water must be available within five minutes of the arrival of the first due apparatus, and the department must maintain the flow, without interruption, for the two-hour duration.
* The fire department must have at least one piece of suitably equipped apparatus with a pump of at least 250-gpm capacity rated at 150 psi.
Source: ISO Mitigation
The Albuquerque Police Department provides this excellent advice for parents on safety for kids home alone:
Being home alone can be a scary proposition for kids and parents. Many parents who work all day are faced with the daunting task of making sure their children are safe and protected before and after school. By following the tips listed below, parents can ease some of the anxiety associated with leaving their children home alone as well as general child safety advice.
* Regardless of age, make sure your child is mature enough and can comprehend rules to your satisfaction before leaving them alone.
* Can your child be trusted to go straight home after school, easily use the telephone, locks, follow rules and instructions, and stay alone without being afraid?
* Parents should teach kids basic safety rules and house rules. They should also know where their children are at all times, what they’re doing, and who they’re with.
* Instruct your child to check in with a trusted neighbor or call you as soon as they get home.
* Make sure they know how to call 911 in case of an emergency and post important numbers.
* Do they know their telephone number, address, and directions to the home?
* Establish a pre-arranged code word in case someone has to pick them up for you.
* o they know how to operate all doors and window locks as well as an alarm system?
* Install eye viewers at a level comparable to your children’s height.
* Explain to your children to never let anyone into the home or let them know that they are alone.
* Establish set rules about having friends over or going somewhere without your permission.
* Children should never carry their house/apartment key in full view. Place the key in a shirt pocket, sock, or other secure place.
* Teach them never to go into the home if signs of intrusion are noticed (broken windows, ripped screen, open doors).
* Establish a fixed route to and from school and walk that route with your children. Point out designated locations they can go for help including neighbors.
* Encourage them to walk with friends at all times.
* Avoid danger spots like alleys, wooded areas, construction zones, public restrooms, empty buildings and remain in well lit, active locations. Avoid locations where strangers are present.
* If a stranger (any one they do not know) attempts to follow or grab them, teach them to scream, +Stay away from me” or “This person is trying to hurt me,” and run to an established safe place.
* Regularly communicate with your child about unusual incidents, contact with other people, or any event that makes them uncomfortable.
Source: Albuquerque Police Department
Many of the things that can improve home safety and security are low or even no cost, like remembering to lock the deadbolt you already spent money to install. Are you storing a ladder beside your house? A burglar could use your own ladder to get in a window.
TownOnline.com - Holbrook Sun - Opinion & Letters
Play the security game. Gather members of your family together outside the house. Lock up the house as if no one were home. Have everyone try to get into the house without breaking windows. Make a list of vulnerable spots and repair or secure it. Make it a practice to lock up all ladders and tools, such as crowbars or screwdrivers.
Firefighters recommend homeowners insurance as the best way to protect your home from lightning strikes, not lightning rods. If rods aren’t properly grounded, they will actually attract lightning strikes and then direct the current into the structure. If you do have a lightning rod, make sure it’s properly installed and properly grounded. If you don’t have one and were thinking about it, think about insurance instead.
Protection Problem: Lightning Rods
…the problem is they never kept the ground cable, the ground connection. A lot of times it rusted off or somebody knocks it off and never replaced it. It can cause more problems.
The knee jerk reaction of many child safety advocates to gun accidents involving children is to advocate removing guns from the home. This article in the Missoulian points out that while that may be a great idea in a city where 911 brings the police in minutes, in rural areas it just isn’t feasible. Given the recent events in New Orleans where the police were at best irrelevant and at worst looting themselves, it probably isn’t even good advice in the city. Solution: Teach your kids gun safety and responsible gun use. Then not only will they be responsible and safe today, but when the time comes for them to be responsible for the safety and security of their own family they’ll be prepared. And isn’t preparing kids for the time when they are on their own what good parenting is all about?
Missoulian: Guns should be the least of kids’ worries - Monday, Sept. 12, 2005
One of the legitimate and most compelling reasons to keep a gun is for personal and family protection. An unloaded gun is worse than useless in any situation that calls for firepower. Would-be rapists and murderers won’t always wait for you to retrieve your weapon from the locked safe or rummage through your purse for the key to the trigger lock. Protection is no trivial reason for keeping a loaded gun handy, nor one to approach casually. You must balance the manageable but undeniable risk of gun ownership with any sense of security and actual protection you might provide with it. Used responsibly and skillfully, a gun can be a decided asset; otherwise, it’s a liability.
For many people, especially those with ungoverned or ungovernable children, the balance at least tilts toward secure lockup. But many, many Montana families reside with a high degree of safety, even with loaded, unlocked guns in the house, mainly because the parents properly school their children. Their kids don’t play with the guns for the same reason they don’t play with gasoline and matches.
A British survey found most homeowners believe their homes are safe, but don’t take basic safety precautions like always locking doors and windows when leaving the house. One-in-six British homeowners have no idea how many people have keys to their home. The survey figures may be of interest mostly in Britain, but the basic safety and security measures work anywhere.
Top 10 home security lapses revealed - UK News Headlines - Life Style Extra
1. more than three-quarters (76 per cent) don’t have a burglar alarm or have one but don’t always turn it on before they go out.
2. Six-in-10 (59 per cent) don’t always ask a tradesman for identification.
3. Almost half 48 (per cent) don’t bother leaving a light on when away from home.
4. Over four-in-10 (46 per cent) don’t always check that appliances are switched off every time they leave the house.
5. Just over a third (37 per cent) would not bother to have the locks changed if they lost their keys.
6. 27 per cent leave spare keys outside their house e.g. under a mat.
7. Over a quarter (27 per cent) do not possess a smoke alarm and those that do, don’t check it regularly.
8. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) smoke in their home or allow others to.
9. Nearly one-in-five (18 per cent) say they don’t always lock all their doors and windows when they go out.
10. One-in-six (14 per cent) have no idea how many people have keys to their home.
Baby Parenting: The top ten worries of new parents at Pregnancy & Baby number 2 worry, “Will I be able to protect my baby from harm?”
2. Will I be able to protect my baby from harm?
The world can suddenly feel like a very scary place when you’re entrusted with the task of caring for a newborn. Tracy Janevic, a 31-year-old first-time mother from Ann Arbor, Michigan, remembers being almost paralysed with concern about her baby’s safety.
From car seats to childproofing cabinets, new parents know better than anyone how important it is to keep our homes, our cars, our schools and playgrounds safe and secure.
Just because you aren’t a homeowner doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a safe and secure home.
The Akron Beacon Journal has some good tips for Making apartments secure. Remember to check with your landlord when making any installations that will affect the property, but remind the landlord that if done properly these modifications will increase the property value for future tenants.
Some pointers:
- Install deadbolt locks
- Have the lock tumblers rekeyed
- Install peepholes on exterior doors
- Make sure common entrances remain locked and common areas are well lit
- Secure sliding glass doors with a broom handle or board
Adding a new baby to the family means taking steps to make sure the home is safe. This article offers several simple things to do, ranging from safety gates on stairs and latches on cabinets to a reminder to install and maintain smoke detectors near bedrooms.
Fashion Monitor Toronto - Guide to Toronto Fashion, Style and Nightlife - Child-Proofing Your Home: Style Vs. Safety - Having young children mean child-proofing your home, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you throwing your style out the window.
Child safety expert Debra Holtzman says there are simple child-proofing steps to take to make your home safe for the kids, while still enjoying the things you love.
