Child Fatality Report Released Focusing on Child Deaths from Fires
The second annual Child Fatality Report, which reviews preventable fatalities among children ages one to 12 years, was released on May 29. This year’s document found that fires are the second leading cause of child deaths from injuries in New York City.
“When a child dies, a piece of New York’s future dies as well,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a press conference at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA.
The report analyzed six years of data (from 2001 to 2006), including 43 residential fires involving child deaths. The research indicated that 85 percent of those fires were set accidentally.
Researchers also found that three-quarters of all fires that killed children in New York City were preventable. It indicated many were caused by adult behavior – such as leaving candles unattended or overloaded outlets – or children playing with matches or lighters.
“The best way to fight a fire is to prevent it – this report emphasizes that,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta.
Nine out of every 10 child fatalities from fire were started in the home, when an adult was present. And working smoke alarms were present in only one quarter of the homes where fire resulted in death.
“Any loss of a child’s life is unacceptable,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “But you can take concrete steps to prevent these deaths from happening.”
The first cause of preventable fatalities was automobile accidents, according to the report.
You can read the full Child Fatality Report at www.nyc.gov.