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The official first day of summer is Friday and HFD, several City Departments and organizations, have joined forces to re-enforce summer safety in an effort to make this summer a fun one and not a tragic one.
“The summer months are a time of innocence and carefree fun for our children but we must keep a close eye on them because tragedy can happen in a blink of an eye when they are left unsupervised,” says Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Mark and Christi Brown, who’s 3-year old son tragically drowned in an apartment pool, encourage parents and caregivers to be aware of the dangers of water.
"It happened to us because we did not know how dangerous water could be, we didn't understand the risk,” says Mark Brown. “We must become aware of the dangers of water and how it can happen in 20-30 seconds and be silent.”
Their son, Judah, fell in the pool without his arm flotation devices which had given him the confidence that he could swim. Within 20-30 seconds he was spotted and pulled from the pool. His father immediately began CPR, however he passed away a few days later at the hospital.
With the help of Judah’s pre-school teacher, the “Judah Brown Project” was started and works to ensure parents and caregivers know the dangers of water. The organization, who has joined forces with the Houston Health Department, provides training for parents, safety pamphlets for pediatricians around the Nation, training in schools and CPR classes.
More information about this organization may be found at judahbrownproject.org
“We can save more lives and we can do it together,” says Christi Brown.
Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional deaths in children ages 1 – 4, and this year, the greater Harris County Area has already seen at least 8 drowning related deaths with 39 in the State.
Not only does Texas lead the US in drownings, Harris County has the most drownings within Texas. In addition to pools, things like coolers, buckets, bathtubs and beaches are also sources of preventive drownings.
“Nobody thinks it’s going to happen to them,” says City of Houston EMS Director Dr. David Persse. “Unlike it’s portrayed on TV, drowning is quick and silent.”
No child is drown-proof, but Dr. Persse says there are several things all parents and caregivers can do to prevent the tragedies including:
• Designate a “water watcher.” This adult is responsible for keeping their eyes on all children in the water and should be free of all distractions — including cell phones and socializing. The “water watcher” should be switched every 15 minutes to avoid attention fatigue.
• Teach children to swim. Survival swimming lessons teach children self-rescue techniques to help prevent water accident deaths. Traditional swimming lessons teach children proper swimming strokes.
• Learn CPR. Become certified in CRP and update your skills annually. It could save the life of your child or another person.
“You would be surprised how well CPR works, “said Dr. Persse. “it's so great when a firefighter shows up and the victim is already awake and coughing. CPR is not difficult.”
• Have proper barriers. Ensure the fence around your pool is at least five feet tall with a self-closing and self-latching gate. Make sure doors and windows to the pool are always locked and alarmed. Have a pool alarm installed to alert you when anyone goes into the water.
The Houston Health department offers additional safety tips and resources on their website at https://www.houstontx.gov/health
Every year there are preventable deaths with children left in hot vehicles. It does not take much for the temperature inside a vehicle to become lethal with the very young and the elderly not able to tolerate heat the way most adults do. Anything above 107 degrees can lead to heat stroke.
According to Child Safety Analyst Stephanie Malek, heat stroke is the leading cause of non-crash car related deaths of children under the age 15. Since 1998 there have been 806 heat stroke deaths for children in hot cars, 119 of which were in Texas.
Malek says there are a couple of things we can do to prevent these tragic deaths including:
• Every time you get in your vehicle, place an item like your purse, wallet, or cell phone in the back seat so you must remember to look in the back seat when you reach your destination.
• Keep a stuffed toy in your child’s car seat and move it to the front of the car as a reminder when you place your child in their seat.
• Make sure you have clear communication with anyone you may be traveling with as to who has the responsibility of making sure the child is taken out of the car and don’t just assume.
• Have good communication with the daycare provider, so if child doesn’t arrive, they will contact you.
Children also have succumbed in hot cars due to curiosity in and around parked cars. “Teach children it is not safe to play in and around vehicles and make sure you lock vehicles when you get out,” says Malek.
Pet owners are also reminded, if it’s hot enough for our children it's also too hot for our pets.
The Pryer family lost their 3-year-old son RJ on a hot July day after he was left in a daycare van. “Not one moment would I have thought that taking him to a daycare would have been the end of his life,” says Dikeisha Whitlock Pryer. “We have to work together; we have to find a way to save our kids.”
RJ’s parents had no clue until the day he stopped breathing how many kids had passed away due to being left or being trapped in hot cars. Mrs. Pryer encourages parents to use the tips given by Malak including specific “apps” which help alert parents.
“Our babies are in rear facing car seats and you can’t see them when you look in your mirror,” said Mrs. Pryer. “If that baby is sleeping, that child is not going to alert you.”
The Pryer family have founded The RJ Foundation for Kids to help prevent another family from losing their child.
Mrs. Pryer also urged everyone to look behind them when walking through a parking lot; look at cars when go out to see if children are still inside without a parent. “Parents, please stop leaving your kids in your car to go pay for gas. It took supposedly just about 10 minutes for RJ to have heat stroke.”
“As a parent, my heart breaks when I hear of a child drowning or a child being left in a hot vehicle. These are preventable deaths and I extend my heartfelt condolences to families experiencing this kind of unimaginable grief, “ says Mayor Sylvester Turner. “I especially want to thank Dikeisha and Raymond Pryer for sharing their story today. Their 3-year-old son, RJ, died when he was left in a daycare van. My government affairs office worked with state lawmakers to make changes to prevent future deaths.”
“The city encourages parents to enroll their children in free or low-cost swim lessons, explore options for responsible daycare providers and keep your home child-proofed to prevent accidents.”
Fire Chief Sam Pena thanks these families for their willingness to take their tragedy and empower everyone to do something to prevent tragic deaths of our children.
“Want to encourage everyone this summer to please be vigilant with our children,” says Chief Pena. “It's our responsibility to take care of our children.”
Dr. Julia Hiner with McGovern Medical School – UT Health, also reminds citizens that in addition to children, seniors are also at risk for hyperthermia or high temperatures with a heat stroke mortality rate of 21 to 63 percent for those seniors who seek medical services.
“You can get heat stroke either by running a marathon or sitting outside,” says Dr. Hiner. “Our bodies regulate heat by sweating and thirst, both of which elders experience differently. They have medications and medical concerns that impact their body’s temperature.”
Symptoms of Heat Stroke include:
• Either little or no sweating
• Low urination
• Nausea and sickness
• Not being able to cool down even after going inside
“It’s Important to look out for not only ourselves, but also our loved ones,” says Dr. Hiner. “Make sure they are able to be in a cool environment, have access to water, take brakes, go in the shade and do outside activities early in the morning or later in the evening.”
Sources for assistance include: City activated cooling centers, 11 Reliant Beat the Heat cooling centers which will be open weekdays from June through September and Reliant assistance programs for low-income seniors.
With more than 1 million Houstonians residing in apartments, Starla Turnbo, President of the Houston Apartment Association, also encourages residents to keep their eyes on their apartments’ community swimming pools to ensure the gates and safety equipment are working properly and children are not left unsupervised.
Mrs. Turnbo reminds parents and care-givers to talk with their children if being left in the care of a care-giver or if old enough to be left home alone.
“Make sure they have someone looking over them, make sure they know how to call 911, how to use the stove or if they should,” said Turnbo. “Discuss their boundaries, if they are able to go outside the apartment.”
Apartment residents may visit the HAA’s website www.safeinmyplace.org for additional safety tips.
“As a community, we must do our part to protect all children through education and by supporting families. Every life is precious and worth saving,” says Mayor Sylvester Turner.
Additional summer safety tips may also be found on the Houston Fire Department website at www.houstonfire.org
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