Smoke, Fire, and Immobility

Fire!  A scary thought for everyone, but for a person who is immobile fire and smoke must be terrifying.  Most families know to have a smoke detector on every level of a home and in all bedrooms, but do they also know how to get a loved one out of the house in an emergency.  

Safe Kids USA is a wonderful resource to learn and teach about child safety.  They gather all sorts of data concerning child safety and use that data to create safety education programs.

One education program is specifically designed for children with disabilities. Visual, hearing, cognitive impairments are considered along with immobility.  Safe Kids created a video entitled "Fire Safety for Families with Children Who Are Immobile".   The family is encouraged to have a plan for emergencies with fire.  For a quick exit in an emergency use a blanket to get your immobile child out of the house.  If they are too big to carry, then drag them out on a blanket!

The pediatrician I worked with at a clinic for children with special needs was especially fascinated with this idea.  She had never thought of how to get a large immobile person out of a house in an emergency.   

When I was a child, my friend had a sleepover.  For some unknown reason we watched a movie about developmentally delayed children who lived in an institution.  There was a horrible fire and the children couldn't get out.  That horrid movie has stuck with me to this day.  I became one of those safety conscience nurses (also called nutty folks) who always check for the exit at the movie theater, stores and large buildings and of course I never stay at a hotel without checking for a working smoke detector.  

So check your Smoke Detectors  (and Carbon Monoxide detectors) monthly and be prepared for emergencies!



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Here are some other Safety Tips for  Children with Mobility Impairments:

(I live in Texas. I think I can safely mark off my list the rock salt to decrease slippery areas in the ice and snow.)

Safety tips for the Mobility Impaired Child

Talk with your child’s care team including your child’s health care provider, school nurse, principal, teacher, school staff and other caregivers.

Involve your child. Talk about the steps you’ll take. Ask your child “what if” questions to help them learn to problem solve.

Be a role model. Children will do what you do. If you wear your bike helmet, they will too.

Fall Safety Equipment

·      Does your child’s adaptive equipment fit well? Do you have all the safety support gear that it needs such as brakes, belts, etc.?

·      In the winter, you may want to carry rock salt in a backpack to throw on icy spots. 

At Home

·      Do pathways provide clear access throughout your home? Are they cleared of throw rugs, worn carpet, low tables, and electric cords? (Electric cords can be taped to the floor).

·      Items like handgrips, ramps, and padded furniture may make your home easier to navigate.

·      Are play spaces easy to get to? Does your home have soft surface areas for play?

·      You can secure or tape carpets and rugs to the floor and large furniture can be secured with furniture straps to the wall.

·      Install a nonskid mat or no-slip strips and grab bars in the shower and bathroom. A shower or tub seat with a strap may be of help.

·      Do you have no-slip surfaces or strips on stairs? Do your stairway railings extend beyond top and bottom step.

Safety Tips for Children who use Mobility Devices

At School

Talk with your child’s teachers, school nurse and key staff about your child’s needs. Discuss things like permission to use the elevator and other areas of the building. Include these in your child’s IEP or IHP (Individualized Health Plan).

Fire and Burn Safety

·      Create a fire escape plan for your home. Include steps to assist your child and to transport any needed medical or mobility equipment. Talk about and practice your plan with the whole family. Include plans for school, places of worship, theaters, and stores.

·      If you can, teach your child how to stop, drop and roll with their mobility device. If applicable, teach them how to use a blanket to put out a fire. Help your child practice getting from the wheelchair to the ground and then rolling.

·      Do all adults and older children know where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it? Tell your local fire station about your child’s evacuation needs and medical equipment.

·      Teach your child to stay low in smoke. If your child is not able to lower themselves to the ground, teach family members how to help them get to the floor and onto a blanket. Use the blanket to pull your child away from a fire. Practice this with your family. Include going up and down stairs or all levels of your home. If your child cannot use their arms, a plastic sled can give the upper body more support for going down stairs in an evacuation.

·      Include a special meeting place outside your home in your plan where all family members can meet in case of fire

Water Safety

Find the right life jacket for your child’s needs. There are many kinds of adaptable life jackets available. Have your child try them on to see what works best. For information on adaptive life jackets visit http://www.pfd-a.com/index.html.

Depending on their skill level in the water, some children should always have an adult within arms’ reach in the water (even if there is a lifeguard on duty). Check with your child’s health care provider about your child’s level of water safety skills (i.e., can swim independently, can right himself, knows about deep water, can blow bubbles, etc).

In the Bath

Mounted grab bars may provide extra support when getting in and out of the tub. Learn how to safely put your child in the tub without hurting your back.

Car Safety Resources

Car Seat Guide for Children with Special Needs, American Academy of Pediatrics: provides information on child restraint options for children with special needs, how to use the seats, transporting older children, premature babies, and children with casts or that use wheelchairs.

http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_SpNeedsCarSeats.htm.

Vehicle safety for people who use wheelchairs, www.travelsafer.org/

Transporting Children with Special Health Care Needs, American Academy of Pediatrics, http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;104/4/988

E-Z-On Products, Inc. of Florida 1-800-323-6598, www.ezonpro.com/products.shtml Adapting Motor Vehicles for People with Disabilities, U S Department of Transportation.

1-888-DASH-2-DOT or www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/adaptive/brochure/brochure.html

Bike Safety

Find a bicycle or tricycle that meets your child's needs. There are many styles of adapted bikes and trikes that your child can try. Visit Adapted Bicycle Product List for Persons with Special Needs at, http://rileychildrenshospital.com/document.jsp?locid=1416

For More Information:

Keeping Children with Special Needs Safe in the Home from Safe Kids and the MetLife Foundation. A series of safety videos highlighting how you can take precautions in your home to help prevent injuries to children with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/special-needs/

Adapted in part from the Diagnosis Related Injury Prevention Suggestions developed by the Ohio Dept. of Health. Revised with permission by the Center for Children with Special Needs, Seattle Children’s Hospital.