The food (catered by Blue Ridge Cafe) was delicious – especially the blueberry cobbler), the bluegrass music (Gary Shifflett and the Shenandoah shakers, and Tommy Wood and the Dixie Hill Bluegrass Band) was outstanding. And the day was beautiful.

The volunteers at Ruckersville Volunteer Fire Company practice regularly so they will be prepared for the next emergency. The station itself is spotless, as is every piece of equipment. The volunteers are prepared for brush fires in the wooded areas surrounding Ruckersville and for home kitchen fires and other emergencies, including medical emergencies.

Most of all, though, the firefighters were friendly, helpful, rightfully proud of the important work they do — and they encouraged youngsters to safely enjoy the equipment.

Thank you volunteers!

Oh wait – that’s just a firefighter!

Most every child knows the excitement of firefighters and fire trucks: Lights! Sirens! Cool boots! Awesome Hats! However what looks exciting can turn into a child’s nightmare in a real emergency. You know it’s a good idea to make your child aware of the people who protect them, but it’s also a smart idea to prepare them – and yourself – for an emergency.

Sure, it’s fun for kids to honk the fire truck horn and try on super-sized coats that weigh as much as they do.  But would your child know to go towards the firefighter and listen to his instructions in an actual emergency situation?

October 9 – 15 is FIRE PREVENTION WEEK, and local fire stations are having open houses on Saturday, October 15.

Go visit your local firefighters and rescue team, bake an extra batch of cookies, and see who you can talk into getting into their full gear with equipment so your child can see what they look like while they’re working an emergency. Have them mimic certain sounds of what the child may hear during an emergency, as well as what they may see.

The same goes for the Emergency Medical Team. See if someone will show you some of the more frightening equipment you see during car crashes or in medical emergencies, what it would feel like to lay on a stretcher, and some of the key instructions children may hear during an emergency.

Important Fire Safety Tips:

• Install smoke alarms outside every sleeping area
• Check your alarm batteries (regularly)
• Install carbon monoxide detectors
• Know where you gas shut off is
• Know how to tell if your pilot light went out
• Know what a gas leak smells like
• Know your escape route AND what to do once you’re out – and to know if anyone is missing!
• If you have an emergency ladder from a second floor, make sure you know how to use it (practice on it)
• Have two escape routes from every bedroom — practice using them
• Keep fire extinguishers charged and ready, check expiration dates, keep them handy, know where they are
• Have your older home’s electrical work checked and updated.

For additional information on fire safety, upcoming safety events and how to get prepared, visit the National Fire Prevention  Association website.

A few years ago, I represented the family of a two-year-old boy who died from the infection he got after suffering scalding burns over much of his body when boiling water on the stove fell on him. (The injury was especially devastating to the boy’s parents. He had come running into the kitchen and startled his dad who was standing by the stove. The dad turned abruptly and knocked the pot off the stove. The boiling hot water splashed onto the boy.)

A young child’s skin is thinner than an older child or adult’s. So, a young child can be burned at a lower temperature and the burn can go deeper into the skin and inner tissues. The majority of people who suffer burns from scalding liquid are younger than four years of age.

Check your own kitchen and the routines of your family. Do your young children usually come into the kitchen and stand close to the stove when you are cooking? Kitchens and bathrooms are two of the most dangerous rooms in your house for young children. Here is a link to tips for keeping your child safe around the house.

If your child is in home daycare, be sure the daycare provider does not allow the children to be in the kitchen if there is cooking going on.

Young children do not understand the dangers and cannot control their actions. That is why the law does not fault young children for their injuries. In Virginia, if your young child suffers a burn injury, it is never her fault.

If you have questions about whether your should consider holding someone else responsible for your child’s burn injury, contact an experienced child injury lawyer.

But, please, worry about the children. Thanksgiving Day can be dangerous to your child’s health.

Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. On average, there are about three times more home fires on Thanksgiving Day than on any other day. Home fires aren’t the only hazard that make a kitchen dangerous to young children. Burns and scalding injuries can be life threatening.

Keep your child safe:

• Never hold your child while you’re cooking at the stove.
• Keep young children three feet from the stove and any other place where there are hot foods or drinks.
• As lovely as they are, don’t use tablecloths or placemats when young children are present.

Here’s an article with other tips for keeping your family safe on Thanksgiving Day — and every day — in the kitchen.

The images of a burned-out house appeared, and I heard the voice of a reporter telling the story of how the people who lived in the house, three adults and three children, were saved during the night when the house caught on fire because the house was equipped with WORKING smoke detectors.

How are your smoke detectors? They only save lives if they work.

Are you prepared to get your children out of the house in case it is burning — especially in the night when you are all asleep? What if your child cannot get herself out without assistance? SafeKids USA has a website with all kinds of information to help keep children safe, including information about fire safety that could save your lives.

Here is a link to a video about testing your home’s  smoke alarms.

Here’s another link to a video about fire safety for families with children who are visually or hearing impaired.

The same site has another video about fire safety for families with children who are immobile.

International Society for Burn Injuries – hosts conferences and supports organizations in burn research

Camp Susquehanna – A camp for survivors of burn injuries of all ages in Lancaster, PA

Burn Resource Centre – Provides information and links to resources for burn survivors

American Burn Association – Information about advocacy, prevention and other aspects of burn injuries and survival