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Prevention: Firework Injury

Celebrate Safely PA Pennsylvania Firework SafetyPreventing firework-related injuries in Pennsylvania by providing consumers with safety information.

There is no doubt that there has been an increase across the Commonwealth in fireworks-related injuries in recent years. Just within the state of Pennsylvania, fireworks-related injuries nearly doubled between 2019 and 2020 and consumer fireworks sales increased by 300%.

Injuries include serious eye injuries, loss of fingers, 3rd degree burns and even death. Pennsylvania leads the nation in the home fire deaths. Many of those fires occur July 4th weekend and were caused by unsafe firework disposal.

In an effort to keep Pennsylvanians safe and informed, we have partnered with several local and statewide collaborators including the State Fire Commissioner Tom Cook, Commonwealth of PA, the five Regional Burn Centers in Pennsylvania, American Pyrotechnics Safety & Education Foundation, the PA Professional Firefighters Association, PA Municipal League, major firework distributors and the Eastern PA EMS Council to encourage the public to Celebrate Safely this Fourth of July and beyond.

Celebrate Safely PA! Tips

  • Use protective gear when handling fireworks! Stay safe by wearing safety gloves and protective eyewear.
  • Only sober adults should handle and light fireworks, even sparklers!
  • Always assume that fireworks that did not go off are still live! Douse them with water before picking them up and never attempt to re-light them!
  • Do you know how to properly discard used fireworks and sparklers? Place used fireworks in a bucket of water.
  • Keep you and your neighbors safe while handling fireworks! Fireworks may not be discharged within 150 feet of a structure.
  • Have you checked your local fireworks regulations? Some municipalities have time restrictions for when fireworks may be discharged.
  • Be mindful of your location! Never allow your fireworks to land on someone else’s property.
  • Did you know that sparklers can get hotter than a blowtorch? Children should never handle or light any fireworks including sparklers.

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Prevention: Early Childhood

Burn Safety for Preschool Children

Home Safe Home Program

Providing prevention materials to parents of preschool children to prevent accidental burn injuries

Babies can sometimes be burned by hot liquids, steam or electrical appliances. Scalding is the most prevalent form of burns in children under 5 years of age. An estimated 60% of scalds with this age group occur from cups/mugs/tableware containing hot liquids; most commonly from a pull-down (48%) or spill (32%) mechanism (American Burn Association 2018). At this age, kids haven’t learned how to keep themselves from harm. The good news is that parents and guardians can keep their children safe by taking a few easy steps.

This innovative program starts with an in-hospital educational video that all new mothers watch before being discharged from a Lehigh Valley Health Network hospital.  It continues with an extended video home assessment.

The program expands to all Eastern PA kids under five with the Home Safe Home Adventurer Club! This provides quarterly parent newsletters, age-appropriate activities to do with your children and occasional mailed items to keep families safe!

Parents – Sign up for our Home Safe Home Adventurer Club!

Padres – ¡Regístrese en nuestro Club de Aventureros Hogar Seguro Hogar!

 

 

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Prevention: School-Age Children

Flick's Fire & Burn Safety Program (Grades 1-5)

Flick’s Fire and Burn Safety is a teacher-directed program designed for grades 1-5 in conjunction with Academic Standards. Topics within this program include:

  • Appropriate behavior to extinguish clothing fires.
  • Proper first aid for burns.
  • What constitutes an emergency and how to call 911.
  • How to prevent clothing fires.
  • Dangers of lighter and matches.
  • Recognizing fire hazards and Keeping your home fire safe.
  • Recognizing safe/unsafe behaviors

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The Great Escape (Grades 6-8)

The Great Escape is a teacher-directed program designed for grades 6-8 in conjunction with academic standards.  Topics within this program include:

  • Recognizing fire hazards and keeping your home fire safe
  • Understanding the need for having a home escape plan, understanding the necessary components of an escape plan.
  • Problem-solving when various escape routes are blocked.
  • Diagram a floor plan of the home and indicate two ways out of each room.
  • Learning how to “shelter” in a room if escape is impossible.
  • The dangers and consequences of youth fire misuse.
  • Public awareness of fire safety

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Stop, Drop, Roll

Stop, Drop, and Roll

Teaching kids safety tips and what to do in a fire.

 

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Burn Survivor Support

Camp Susquehanna

Increasing resilience in burn survivors ages 7-17 through peer interactions

Surviving from a devastating burn requires more than just physical healing. Burn survivors and their family members must also deal with the psychological, mental, and even spiritual impacts of this life-changing injury.

Camp Susquehanna is a Pennsylvania statewide sleep-away summer camp with year-round supportive activities for youth ages 7-17 who have had a serious burn injury. This unique program offers an opportunity to build self-esteem through physical activities and personal accomplishments. Children will interact with others who have experienced a burn injury and
be included in a traditional camp setting. Although Camp Susquehanna’s campers are of varying ages, activities and groups are geared towards each camper’s developmental needs.

The camp is staffed with experienced burn and wound nurses, adult burn survivors, fire service professionals, health professionals and other caring staff. All volunteers undergo
background checks, interviews, and training in trauma informed care and resiliency. We also hold quarterly virtual events.

Camp Susquehanna is completely free of charge to our campers and families.

We also provide school re-entry for burn survivors. The purpose of the school re-entry program is to prepare classmates, faculty and school personnel for the return of a student who has undergone medical treatment for burn injuries that has resulted in visible scarring and/or impairment of that survivor. The content of this program is to familiarize these persons about the treatment that the survivor has undergone, the medical devices (compression garments and face masks, etc.) that may still be in use, the current appearance and any physical restrictions of the survivor, and to address questions about the needs and feelings of the survivor. The intent is to create an accepting and nurturing environment that will allow the survivor to reintegrate into daily life and regain a sense of normalcy.