By Mike Little
My wife and I are blessed to have three grandchildren ranging in ages from six months to 9 years. I have forgotten how busy and tiring children at these ages can be – it’s no wonder parenting tends to start at a younger age when we’re typically more capable of keeping up with kids. One thing I have relearned over the past nine years is children of all ages present safety issues. I am amazed how quickly a small child can disappear and get into something. With that in mind, here are some safety tips for kids of all ages.
Car Seat Safety
Ohio has a child safety car seat law that can be found in the Ohio Revised Code, section 4511.81. All children less than 4 years old or under 40 pounds must use a child safety seat that meets federal motor vehicle safety standards. Children less than 8 years old and under 4 feet, 9 inches tall must use a booster seat. There are many different vendors and varieties, so it’s important to do your research before buying a car seat. One other note, always install the seat according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. If you are unsure of the installation, contact a local AAA office or the Columbus Public Health Department for further assistance.
Home Safety
As children become mobile, exploration is inevitable. Thus, it’s important to safeguard your home. If you have stairs, purchase and install stairwell gates that lock. These gates are somewhat cumbersome but will prevent your little one from falling down the stairs. Make sure gates are installed at the top and bottom of the stairwell. Cabinet and drawer locks are also nice items to ensure safety. Children like to open and close doors/drawers, and locks will protect them from getting into cleaning sprays/liquids, potentially dangerous cutlery, etc. Again, there are many types of locks so you need to select what works best for your home. Lastly, do not forget entry/exit door locks. When your little one is walking and can reach door handles, their escape outside will happen. Consider adding door locks that are out of their reach.
Play Safety
Outside play is every child’s dream – our grandsons both enjoy being outside (our granddaughter is still too young). Never leave your child unattended at a playground. It’s an unfortunate reality; children do get abducted, so paying attention to them is paramount to their safety. Bikes, skates and skateboards are all popular activities, so provide your child with a helmet and make sure it is worn when doing these. If skateboarding or using skates, consider adding elbow and knee pads to provide added protection when a fall occurs.
Water Safety
Pools, lakes and the ocean are popular destination spots even during late summer. First and foremost, enroll your children in swimming lessons as soon as you feel they are ready. Teaching your children to swim may be the single most important thing you can do for their safety. Also, use Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices that are properly sized when in open water. Swim aids such as water wings or inner tubes are not a substitute for a PFD.
I hope you have found these safety tips helpful. While not all-encompassing, they will provide a baseline start for a child-friendly environment. The Violet Township Fire Department is here for you. If you have any questions, please call us at 614-837-4123 or reach us on the web at www.violet.oh.us. As always, we are your “Friends for Life”.
Save the Date
Oct. 13, 2019
Annual Fire Department Open House
1-3 p.m.
Station 591, Lockville Rd.
Pickerington, Ohio 43147
This is always a huge day for our community! It is an event you and your family will not want to miss.
Mark your calendars and set your phones to remind you of this amazing family day!
The Search for the Elusive Litterbug
By Chad Lucht, Sr. Urban Specialist, Fairfield Soil & Water Conservation District
There are many bugs that cause environmental destruction and make the landscape less appealing. From emerald ash borers killing off whole ash tree forests to Japanese beetles munching on leaves in a rose garden, people have made it their mission to spot these critters and control their negative effects. However, there is another bug out there that causes just as much damage to the environment and might even be more elusive and harder to control than any multi-legged insect – the thoughtless human litterbug.
Litterbugs come in many varieties, some having bigger impacts than others, but all contribute to the decline of aesthetics and health of our terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Littering can occur by both honest accident and deliberate action, but regardless of the source, it’s a problem that needs to be addressed and accountability needs to be taken.
Accidental littering can happen when unsecured items in a vehicle fly out the window or the bed of a truck, when trash is set out by the curb or when a commercial dumpster is scattered by inquisitive wildlife looking for an easy meal. Deliberate littering occurs when people willfully and improperly dispose of their trash outside of approved methods. This can include an empty water bottle being flung out car windows, tossing bags of pet waste down storm drains or large-scale dumping on public or private property. This litter is then further distributed by wind and water until it ultimately ends up in a nature where it is no longer considered simple litter, but instead, it becomes pollution.
Stream side storage of debris is another place where littering often occurs. Despite the fact that most homeowners take great care of their lawn, a lot of rubbish and yard waste finds its way to piles by creeks – flood waters may pick up that old bucket, lawn chair, lumber, or piles of lawn clippings and leaves and push it downstream.
The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and Pickerington Police Department are regularly on the lookout for those who litter our local roads and streets. The Sheriff’s office took over 80 reports of littering activities in the Violet Township area from 2017-2018, but we see evidence of littering going unnoticed or unreported.
Law enforcement and our office only have so many eyes out there looking for litter. So, we would like to ask everyone to help stop the intentional and unintentional litterbugs from polluting our roads, streets and streams in the Walnut Creek and Blacklick Creek watersheds.
Know the Laws
Litter and Illegal Dumping – ORC 3767.32
Littering from a Motor Vehicle – ORC 4511.82
Unsecured Load – ORC 4513.31
Prohibiting Polluting State Land or Water – ORC 1513.29
Violet Township Fire Departments Named a Safe Place
Violet Township Fire Department stations are now designated Safe Places in the central Ohio community. The buildings will display the yellow and black Safe Place sign, which signifies immediate help and safety specifically for youth.
It’s estimated that more than one million youth run away from home each year due to abuse, neglect, family conflicts and other issues. The Safe Place program is an option for young people who feel they have nowhere to turn. Columbus’ Safe Place initiative, operated by Huckleberry House, is part of a national network of Safe Place programs in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 20,000 community businesses and organizations nationwide display the Safe Place sign, making help readily available for youth in need.
“By making their fire stations a Safe Place, Violet Township provides a safe alternative for runaway or homeless youth in their community,” says Becky Westerfelt, executive director of Huckleberry House.
“The collaboration with Huckleberry House makes sense. Our personnel have a duty to keep people safe and serve our community,” says Violet Township Fire Chief Mike Little. “This is just another way we are able to meet that community expectation.”
Huckleberry House is central Ohio’s Safe Place agency and has 82 partner sites, including all 23 locations in the Columbus Metropolitan Library system. In addition to Safe Place sites, youth may also access immediate help via TXT 4 HELP, a text-for-support service for youth in crisis. Teens can text the word “safe” and their current location (address, city, state) to 69866 or 44357 and receive a message with the closest Safe Place location and the number for the local youth shelter. Users also have the option to text interactively with a mental health professional for more help.
