Thousands of children suffer injuries and even death within their own home every year, not from abuse, but from an unsafe home.   Below is a list of things that could be harmful to your child (even if you don’t have children of your own, but occasionally have children in your home you should be aware of these things):

1.       Electrical Outlets:  Children, especially babies and toddlers, are curious about electrical outlets.  Cover them with a plastic outlet insert found at most stores where items for babies and children are sold.

2.       Drapery Cords:  What? That’s right drapery cords are a hazard to children.  Every year hundreds of deaths are recorded of children who were playing around with drapery cords and accidentally get hung up in the drapery cord.  Either secure the cords high out of the reach of children, cut the looped end, or affix a cord safety device to the lower end of the cord that will prevent strangulation.

3.       Toilets/Tubs:  Yes, toilets and tubs can be a hazard to young children.  Cases have been reported of babies and toddlers who fell head first into a toilet, couldn’t get out and drowned.  Only a teaspoon of water can drown an infant.  Safety devices can be purchased that easily fasten to the toilet to make them safe around small children, yet still make the toilet easily accessible.  When young children are in the tub don’t leave them alone, even for a minute!

4.       Oven/Burners:  Remember children are curious and in their early years don’t always know what can hurt them.  Ovens and stove burners are a hazard.  Like toilets, a safety device can be fastened to the oven making it more secure and safe around small children.  When cooking on the stove, turn the handle of skillets and pans away from the front of the stove, so that small children can not reach up and pull scalding food, liquids, or grease down on themselves.

5.       Cabinets:  Cabinets are a great source of curiosity to young children and like to explore them.  We often store chemicals, cleaners, medicines and other potentially harmful substances in our cabinets.  Secure your cabinets with a safety latch to prevent curious hands from getting into them. 

6.       Poisons:  We sometimes store poisons, such as for rodent or weed control in cabinets or on shelves in the garage.  Make sure they are safely stored away from children.  Keep the number for poison control accessible and instruct responsible members of your family, or baby sitter, where the number is kept in case of an emergency.   You can reach Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 24 hours a day.  Speak to a poison specialist or contact a physician or emergency room before attempting to induce vomiting. You may be asked by poison control to administer Ipecac, so keep some on hand at all times.

7.       Pools:  It goes without saying, pools can be dangerous to children.  Yet, hundreds of kids drown every year in family pools.  Drowning can be avoided at your home if you follow safety procedures and provide safety features around your pool.   Pools can be safer if they are covered with a secure cover that children can not crawl under; fenced in and locked; and  swimming is only allowed when there is adult supervision (always stay alert and keep track of all of the children around or in the pool!).  There are special life vests and other flotation devices that have been designed to keep an infant or toddlers head, face up, above water.  Make sure these flotation devices are the right size and properly fitted to your child.  It is also advisable to become infant/child CPR certified.  Most communities offer infant/child CPR classes.  You may save your own child’s life!

8.       Cribs:  It may surprise you that cribs can be a safety hazard.  Make sure the crib you own or are considering purchasing is child safe.  The lateral bars or spacers on the crib, if not properly spaced apart, can choke a child.  Also, the mattress can be hazardous, too.  For infants it is advisable to put a breathable mattress in the crib to avoid suffocation. 

9.       Stairs:  Stairs are a risk too, not just from falls, but also from unsafe railing.  Be sure “baby gates” are secure and properly installed to avoid injury and that the stair railing is safe from a child’s head getting stuck in between the rails to prevent injury or choking.

Other things you may want to consider, depending on your individual situation is making sure proper allergy medications are on hand, as well as asthma medicine, bee sting and/or snake bit kits.  Educate your self on the proper dosages and use of these items.

This list is not all inclusive.  Assess your home for other possible hazards that could be risk to a child.  Some of the supplies and equipment in this post can be purchased by clicking on the banner below.

A home emergency plan may involve different areas of the house and property (stairs, swimming pool, entrance to the property, potential hazards in the yard, etc.) or type of potential emergency (loss of employment, injuries, poison, drowning, natural disaster, etc.).   Consider all potential risks to your family, you personally, visitors to your property, personal property, and real estate and have a plan for each area of risk.

To begin your home emergency plan begin with the area or type of emergency you may be most vulnerable to experiencing the greatest set back, if it were to occur.  For example, if you feel that you and your family are most exposed to potential flooding, due to your close proximity to a river.  You may want to ask yourself the following questions:

1.       Has your property ever been flooded before? (Contact your city, county and/or state for information on flooding on or around your property, even if you live in an apartment building)

2.       Do the tubs, showers, and sinks in your home have overflow valves and are they working properly? What would happen if your tub, shower, or sinks over flowed and caused extensive water damage? Do you have adequate insurance to cover the damage? Who would you call for assistance if you can’t stop the water?

3.       If you have a basement, do you adequate drainage capacity? Do you have a sump pump? If so, is it in good working condition and does it have the capacity to remove water fast enough if your basement floods?

4.       If there is a real risk of flooding on your property, what is the magnitude of potential damage?

5.       Where will you and your family go if your property is flooded?

6.       Do you have adequate flood insurance and will it cover replacement of all property and belongings?

7.       Do you have essential items for at least 72 hours stored in water proof containers that can be loaded quickly into a vehicle? In some cases you may have little or no warning of an impending flood, such as what happened to the residents that lived below the Teton Dam that broke in 1976.

8.       Do you know who you may need to contact in the event of a flood? (Emergency response personnel, city/county/state officials, weather bureau, etc.)

Of course, this list of questions could be expanded for your individual situation and can also be adapted for other types of emergencies. 

If you do experience a flood you may need to stay away from your property for up to 72 hours or longer.  Reply to us below if you would like a checklist of items for a 72 hour kit.

When was the last time you reviewed your home emergency  plan? Never? Most people have never prepared an emergency plan.  So, what is emergency planning and how do you go about planning for those inevitable emergencies that plague all of us at some time in our lives?

Let’s start with the basics.  We have divided emergency planning into six categories all of us should be prepared for, personally and as a family.  These categories include:

1.       Home emergencies

2.       Financial emergencies

3.       Disaster planning

4.       Personal survival

5.       Outdoor emergencies and survival

6.       Child safety

This list may seem overwhelming to some of you.  But, if you develop a plan, one-at-a-time for each category, the task becomes much easier.  Learn as much as you can about what is needed for a thorough plan for each category, beginning with the category that you feel you are most lacking in and critical to your situation; then, once that plan is laid out, turn your attention to another category until you have completed and initiated plans for each category that applies to you.

The greatest benefit of being prepared for emergencies is the freedom from fear or anxiety of what might happen to you or our family if you are not prepared.

Information on each of these categories will follow in future blog posts to help you and your family be more prepared for emergencies. 

• Home emergency preparedness and planning
• Child safety
• Personal safety and survival
• Outdoor safety and survival
• Food storage

This blog is born out of personal experience with various emergency situations; and, awareness of the need for better emergency planning for home emergencies and natural disasters.

The real danger is to be apathetic, thinking “it will never happen to me.”  But, it can and it will at some time in your life, whether it be during a personal crisis (extended joblessness), earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flooding, child drowning, mugging attempt, or a host of other situations.

One example for you, my son and I were at a park playing when we heard a scream nearby.  A mother was holding her baby who was limp in her arms.  Fortunately, I had received child/infant CPR training and was able to revive the child.

In an emergency, do you know what to do? Do you have the necessary items and supplies on hand to assure you and your family will be “relatively” comfortable for up to 72-hours? Is your home child proof?

The goal of this blog is to help all of us become a little more prepared for those inevitable emergencies.  Please send us a reply if you would like a checklist of over 50 items you need to have in your 72-hour emergency kit.  Please indicate whether you would like the checklist emailed or faxed to you.  Make sure you provide your contact information to receive the checklist.

 We have also partnered with the following companies that will help you become more prepared today.