Every day, 125 Utah kids ages 0-14 are treated in an emergency room due to an unintentional injury. Utah Department of Health (UDOH) experts say many of these injuries are preventable. During April and May, parents across Utah can learn how to make their homes safer during National Safe Kids Week.

“Parents could save their child a lifetime of pain or death, from a preventable injury by making simple choices to keep their homes safe,” said Christi Fisher, Director of Safe Kids Utah and a health educator with the UDOH Violence and Injury Prevention Program. “Things like buckling up a child in a car or booster seat, wearing a helmet, and supervising children when they are near water will help keep our kids safe.”

During a safety open house held today, parents learned about poisoning prevention and fire, water, and car safety through demonstrations by experts from Primary Children’s Medical Center, Salt Lake Valley Health Department, the Utah Poison Control Center, and the Utah Fire Marshal’s Office.

“It’s scary to think of everything that could hurt my children,” said Jill Johnson, a mother of two young daughters. “But the open house helped me learn about all the dangers I need to watch for and how to keep my home safe, and that is comforting.”

Free car seat checks, bike rodeos, and safety fairs will be held across the state by Safe Kids Coalitions and local health departments. Events will be held:

• Saturday, April 25 – Car seat checkpoint from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Midvale Boys and Girls Club (7631 South Chapel Street, Midvale)
• Saturday, April 25 – Car seat checkpoint from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Home Depot (1518 S Providence Center Ave, Cedar City)
• Tuesday, April 28 – Car seat checkpoint from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Dream Center (1624 South 1000 West, Salt Lake City).
• Saturday, May 2 – Safety Fair from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Discovery Gateway (444 West 100 South, Salt Lake City)
• Saturday, May 2 – Safety Fair from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Western Park (302 E 200 S Vernal)
• Saturday, May 2 – Safety Fair from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Cabela’s (2502 West Grand Terrace Parkway, Lehi)
• Saturday, May 2 – Safety Fair from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Redstone Retail Center (6400 North Highway 224, Park City)
• Wednesday, May 6 – Car seat checkpoint from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Jorgensen Chevrolet (105 South Main Street, Ephraim)
• Thursday, May 7 – Car seat checkpoint from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Mt. Nebo Market (965 North Main Street, Nephi)
• Friday, May 8 – Car seat checkpoint from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Gunnison City Market (880 N Main St, Gunnison)
• Saturday, May 9 – Health Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Forrester Acres Park (100 North 500 West, Smithfield)
• Saturday, May 9 – Safety Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Intermountain North Ogden Clinic (2400 North Washington Blvd, North Ogden)
• Wednesday, May 13 – Health fair from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Fillmore Utah Stake Center (25 South 300 West, Fillmore)
• Saturday, May 16 – Safety Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Wasatch County Event Center (415 S Southfield Rd, Heber City)
• Saturday, May 16 – Car seat checkpoint from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Uintah Basin Medical Center (250 W 300 N, Roosevelt)
• Wednesday, May 27 – Safety Fair from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Castleview Hospital (300 North Hospital Drive, Price)
• Thursday, May 28 – Safety Fair from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Carbon Emery Medical Clinic (30 North 100 West, Castle Dale)
• Saturday, May 30 – Safety Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Barnes Park (200 North 900 West, Kaysville)
• Tuesday, June 2 – Safety Fair from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Nolan Park Eagle Mountain (Ranches Parkway, Eagle Mountain
• Saturday, June 6 – Safety Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Macey’s Grocery Store (972 North Main Street, Tooele)
  

Funding for Safe Kids Week was provided by Rainey Homes, the Utah Department of Public Safety, Utah Kids Club, Zero Fatalities, Fox 13, and Babies ‘R’ Us.

To learn more about home safety and Safe Kids Week events throughout the state, visit www.health.utah.gov/vipp or www.utahsafekids.org

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