Stop at 4 inches

Just before 5 p.m. today, firefighters were dispatched to a neighborhood in the Bethany area on a report of a 4-year-old boy that had fallen from the second-story window of a duplex.  

Firefighters arrived on scene within minutes to find the boy had landed on a concrete patio. Life Flight, who was already on standby, was activated and landed in a field near Springville Elementary School. The boy was transported from the home to the school by MetroWest and then loaded up in the Life Flight helicopter. He was then transported to a Portland area hospital for further evaluation and treatment. The extent and seriousness of his injuries is unknown at this time. 

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue was assisted on scene by Life Flight, Metro West Ambulance, and Washington County Sheriff’s Office. 

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, unintentional falls are the number one cause of non-fatal injury for children, and 38 percent of fall-related injuries in children are among kids 4 and under.  

Each year, emergency responders are dispatched to incidents involving children who have fallen out of windows. Most of these incidents occur during the spring and summer months when windows are open due to warmer weather. 

Firefighters encourage all families to remember that screens are meant to keep bugs out, not kids in and only allow windows to open 4 inches by installing a window guard or stop.

To learn more about window fall prevention visit www.stopat4.com.