Safe Kids Coalition West Oregon

Eugene-Springfield, Oregon Area

Here are excellent resources on the web that can help you:

• Car Seat Safety Tips at Safe Kids Worldwide
• The Eugene Police Community Outreach Office may be able to assist you. Contact Dr. Margaret Mazzotta 

All the public clinics in our community are closed due to covid for now. PeaceHealth does plan to resume our quarterly clinics as soon as conditions are deemed safe.

Preventing slips and falls. Anyone can be injured by a trip and a fall in the home or yard, prevent them by:

• Keeping walkways clear.
• Keeping electrical cords from crossing walkways or running under rugs.
• Make sure your throw rugs can’t slip/slide.

Medication and Household Product Safety: 

• Keep all medications, cleaners, chemicals, and batteries up and out of reach of children or locked away.
• Use cabinet locks if any of these items are kept in lower cabinets.
• Keep the POISON CONTROL number 1-800-222-1222 in your cell phone and posted on the refrigerator in your home.
• See poison.org for more information.

Water Safety: Drowning prevention:

• Empty cleaning buckets, wading pools, and other containers that hold water.
• Always have fences at least five feet high around pools, including above-ground pools.
• Always supervise kids in and around the water.
• See safekids.org/water safety

Sleep Safety:

• Babies should sleep on their backs for the first 12 months of life.
• Room share with your baby for the first 6-12 months of life.
• Don’t co-sleep.
• Use a firm mattress with a fitted crib sheet, and nothing else in the sleep space (including bumpers, pillows and soft or loose bedding).
• Sleep positioners such as wedges should not be used in the sleep space.

Window Safety: Open windows attract young curious children:

• Allow windows to be open no more than four inches by using window locks, guards or stops to prevent falls.
• Keep furniture away from the second story and higher windows to prevent climbing.
• See stopat4.com for more great tips!

Stair Safety:

• Child gates placed to the top and bottom of stairs can prevent falls.
• Install lights and light switches on walls near the top and bottom of the stairs.

Burn Safety:

• Do not hold a child while cooking at the stove.
• Keep all pots on back burners with handles faced away from the edge.
• Keep hot liquids away from the edges of the counters.
• Don’t leave children alone in rooms with space heaters.
• Water heater temperature should be set to 120 degrees or less to prevent scalding.

Fire/Carbon Monoxide Safety:

• Have a fire escape plan with your family with at least two exit routes and practice regularly.
• Have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the house, test alarms monthly and change batteries at least annually.
• Store flammable liquids away from heat sources.
• Keep a fire extinguisher on every floor.
• Keep space heaters away from furniture, beds and curtains.

Furniture and Television Safety:

• Use anti-tip straps, braces, or brackets to help prevent furniture from falling over if a child is climbing on it.
• Mount flat screen televisions to the wall to prevent them from tipping over.

Electrical Safety:

• Use electrical outlet covers with mobile infant and toddlers in the home.
• Check for frayed wires.
• Keep wires out of reach of small children.
• Make sure there are no cords under rugs or across doorways.

Choking/Strangulation Safety:

• Keep small objects out of reach and sight of children. Look for and remove all small objects at eye level.
• Children can choke on objects smaller than a toilet paper roll.
• Keep cords and strings out of the reach of children, especially window blind cords and strings.

Driveway Safety:

• Ensure kids are not near the car when it is moving, especially when it is backing up.
• Have appropriate de-icing supplies or traction items (sand or salt) available for icy weather.

Gun Safety:

•  Store guns unloaded in a locked gun safe. Keep a gun lock on the firearm and store the ammunition separately.

• Car Seat Check Ups
• Safety Tips
• How to Not Get Hit by a Car
• Dangerous Things Teens do in Cars
• Latest Recalls
• #MyHigh5 Safety Checklist

Bicycle Safety

Online bicycle registration

• https://project529.com/garage
• https://bikeindex.org/

Won't you join us by helping us to buy helmets and car seats for needy children in our community?

We welcome any size donation. Every dollar translates directly into injury prevention, never to salaries or overhead, but to direct services and items like kids bicycle helmets or infant seats or boosters for needy families.  

To donate, please CLICK HERE then under DESIGNATION choose “Injury Prevention and Safety Fund,” NOT the Children's Miracle Network. Your tax-deductible donation is greatly appreciated!

Our Priorities

• Safe child transportation in/on motorized vehicles with focus on child passenger safety
• Safe bicycling/sports participation with an emphasis on head injury reduction
• Home hazard mitigation with an emphasis on fall prevention
• Driving safety of teenagers from impaired or distracted driving

Coalition Officers

• Co-Chairs: Kim Ruscher, MD and Angela Zallen, MD
• Vice Chair: Garret Zallen, MD
• Secretary: April Burton, CNA2
• Treasurer/Fundraising Champions: Lisa Quezada, DNP, and Abby Rogers
• Lane County Representative: Margaret Mazzotta, Ph.D.
• Child Passenger Safety Committee Chair: Bethany Freimuth, CPST-I
• Bicycling/Pedestrian Safety Committee Chair: Laughton Elliott-DeAngelis
• Home Safety Committee Chair: Sonja Davis

Foundation Support

PeaceHealth RiverBend Trauma Services/Sacred Heart Medical Center Foundation
123 International Way
Springfield, OR 97477