Fire House Facts & Child Passenger Safety

09/19/2012 | Kayla Holiman, Fire Inspector

The Yuma Fire Department responded to 246 emergency calls for service

• 6 Commercial Assignments
  Including: Overheated food at a restaurant that set off the fire alarm, a utility cart fire at a business, and various alarms
• 10 Motor Vehicle Crashes
  Including: 1 involving a tree, 1 involving a fence, 1 involving a pedestrian, and 1 involving a guardrail
• 169 Other Medical Emergencies (serious to minor)
  Including: 6 for difficulty breathing, 7 for chest pain, 16 fall victims, 5 unconscious people, 9 seizure cases, 4 strokes, 13 people with psychiatric problems, 30 trauma injuries, 5 diabetic emergencies, 2 poisonings, a baby locked inside of a vehicle, and other illnesses and injuries
• 61 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments
  Including: Three calls for dogs locked inside of vehicles, a dog in a canal, a rattlesnake at a market, a search for an escaped parrot at a truckstop, a call for people stuck in an elevator, over 30 calls for utility wires down/arcing during a monsoon storm, 4 trash/dumpster fires, and various alarms

Child Passenger Safety

This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week (September 16-22, 2012). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Car crashes are the number one killer of children 1 to 12 years old in the United States. The best way to protect them in the car is to put them in the right seat, at the right time, and use it the right way. There are so many car seat types and models, how do you know which one is right for your child? The right car seat or booster fits your child and your car, and is one you will use correctly every time you travel. Not only will your child ride as safely as possible, you will be establishing the foundation for a lifelong habit of seat belt use every time your child travels."

In an effort to reduce those statistics, Safe Kids Yuma County will conduct a "National Seat Check Event" on Friday, September 21st, 2012. The event will be held in the Target Parking lot, located at the Yuma Palms Shopping Center. Certified child passenger safety technicians will be on site from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM to check car seats for proper installation. Safe Kids will advise parents and caregivers on how to choose the right car seats and install them properly in their vehicles. The event is free to the public.

Safe Kids Yuma County is made up of volunteers from the Yuma County Public Health Services District, Yuma Police Department, Yuma Fire Department, Yuma Regional Medical Center, Quechan Injury Prevention, and many other local agencies.