FRANKLIN COUNTY, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — Amid the heatwave and the official start of summer this week, the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office and the Children’s Advocacy Centers are engaging in an awareness campaign on the dangers of water play, hot cars, and unsecured windows for children. Safety tips include leaving an item in the backseat with infants to ensure they aren’t left in a hot vehicle, testing locks on pool fencing, and using stops on windows to keep them from opening more than four inches. 

From the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office:

 With summer official this week, the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Hampshire and Franklin counties and North Quabbin urge anyone caring for children to recognize the unique dangers summer can bring. 

“It takes a community working together to ensure preventable child deaths and injuries don’t occur because people are distracted,” said Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan. “To avoid needless tragedies, we all must be vigilant.” 

The Northwestern District Attorney’s Child Fatality Review Team determined summertime dangers are primarily around water play, accidentally leaving children in hot cars and improperly secured windows. These teams are mandated by state law; Local DAs assemble multidisciplinary groups to review infant and child deaths to assess if they were preventable. 

“These review teams look to make constructive recommendations based on their careful reviews. It’s our obligation to find ways to save young lives from preventable deaths,” said DA Sullivan. 

The “Keeping infants and children safe must be our top priority” campaign offers posters with tips for safer practices for placement in community settings. Posters can be printed from the NWDA website; Printed copies can be requested here: https://www.northwesternda.org/contact-info/webforms/send-us-note 

Safety Tips Sidebar 

• Windows: open windows from the top down and use stops to keep windows from opening more than four inches; 

• Cars: Actively use prompts like placing a bag or lunch in the backseat where an infant is buckled in to prevent accidentally leaving an infant in a car; 

• Water: Test locks on pool fencing regularly, install pool drain covers and be wary of risks beneath the surface of natural bodies of water.