Our premiere episode with Justin Schorr, a Rescue Captain currently in charge of medical response at San Francisco International Airport. We talked about the injuries he sees most often, in the hopes that getting the information out there would help him see those less.
What I got most from this interview was how the overwhelming majority of childhood injuries and deaths are 100% preventable. During our talk, which lasted less than an hour, Justin used the word “preventable” ten times, and the word “prevent” seven more times. Because here’s the deal, folks:
We have the power to stop most childhood injuries, if we’re willing to accept the responsibility.
Justin went on to list the sorts of preventable injuries he sees most often:
Choking from eating food that’s too large
If it’s wider than your pinky but small enough to put in the mouth, your toddler will put it in their mouth and can begin to choke. Cut food into small pieces, and watch for powdery dry food like Cheerios and crackers, which can form a cement-like blockage when mixed with saliva. Know how to clear a child’s or baby’s airway, and the difference between the two.
Serious injuries from not wearing a seatbelt
For the love of…people, your kid should be wearing a seatbelt. There’s no reason not to. Even if it means pulling over to reach a toy or game, or not starting the car until everybody’s strapped in. I know one dad who convinced his kids from toddlerhood that the engine would not start until all seatbelts were fastened.
Playing on Dangerous Toys
Scooters, bicycles, rollerblades, trampolines, and fireworks can lead to a visit to the emergency room, or even a tragedy. Some toys (most notably trampolines, sparklers, and fireworks) Justin says we should avoid entirely. The risks outweigh the rewards. For the others, make sure our kids wear the right safety gear all the time, and teach doing that by our own example.
Burns from Spilled Tea or Coffee
This one is purely psychological. We don’t think of them as dangerous. We think of them as pleasant, or necessary. But that hot water can give kids a second-degree burn if they spill it on themselves. Justin says we should put our cups at the center of the table or the back of the counter — anywhere that’s well out of reach.
Accidental Poisonings
These happen when parents don’t lock up their cleaning chemicals and prescription medications. They happen most often when we’re using something and either forget to put it away, or get distracted in the middle of the process and leave them out and unsupervised. The job’s not done until the tools are away, especially in this situation.
Drowning While Unsupervised
A house with a pool is more dangerous than a house with a properly stored gun. As parents, when our kids are swimming, we need to be present, sober, and paying attention. Remember: real drownings aren’t noisy. They’re quiet, and subtle. It’s also worth investing in some of the cooler new technologies that will tell you when your pool is in use even if you’re not on scene.
Preventing Child Injuries
Every single one of these could have been prevented by a parent who was less busy, more engaged, and more willing to either say “no” or “not until we’ve talked about some stuff.”
I’m not saying that a kid’s trip to the ER means you’re a bad parent. I’m of the opinion that a childhood free of boo-boos is a wasted childhood replete with missed opportunities to learn important life lessons. I am saying, and Justin said it first and more eloquently, that we can keep our kids much safer by just paying attention.
We talk a lot about situational awareness in security circles, but almost exclusively in terms of preventing crime and violent attacks. It’s just as useful when keeping our kids safe from injuries, and even more important since accidents happen far more often than assaults, kidnappings and similar tragedies.
Bottom line: we should make the time to engage fully with our children. It’s more fun for us, more fun for them, and keeps them safer while we’re at it.
Check out the full video here.
If you can’t watch, here are the top five takeaways:
Wear your damn seatbelts, and make your kids wear theirs.
Know where your teacup and coffee cup are at all times.
Hold hands on escalators and moving walkways.
Lead by example when you parent, showing safety from early ages.
Accept how much power you have to keep your child safe.
Also, if you get a chance, check out Justin’s podcast What’s Your Emergency, where he and his buddy Jason (a different Jason) discuss the ins, outs, ups, and downs of life as a member of the three disciplines.