Dear Editor,
Recently, in our community of Lakewood, a tragic incident occurred where a child was seriously injured after falling from a window. This unfortunate incident has shed light on the necessity for all parents to take immediate action and install window guards in their homes.
As parents, our highest priority is the safety of our children. It is our responsibility to provide a safe environment for them to grow and thrive. With the warmer months upon us and windows being opened for fresh air and ventilation, the risk of accidents involving windows becomes significantly higher. Children are naturally curious and can easily find themselves in precarious situations near open windows, leading to devastating consequences.
Window guards serve as a vital protective measure to prevent such accidents from occurring. By installing window guards on the second and third stories of our homes, we can create a barrier that keeps our children safe from falls while still allowing fresh air to circulate. These simple yet effective devices act as a reliable safeguard, ensuring that our little ones are protected from potentially life-threatening accidents.
I understand that we may lead busy lives and overlook certain safety measures. However, as a community, it is our collective responsibility to prioritize the safety of our children. By working together and encouraging one another to install window guards, we can create a safer environment for all the children in our neighborhood and properly fulfill the mitzvah of V’nishmartem Me’od.
Thank you,
A Concerned Parent
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The post should have a link or so to options making it easy for people to buy and install.
I bought this type. Was easy to install and is nice quality. (No it’s not my product that I’m trying to plug in any way)
https://amzn.to/44xQWHT
Please be aware that this particular type of guard should never be installed in a bedroom (per the manufactures instructions) as they can trap someone inside in case of a fire.
These are non egress bars. Not intended for bedrooms etc. Like in case of a fire chas veshalom…
Maybe the township should have a special awareness drive and give out free window guards to all the homeowners. If they’re going to raise our taxes, at least we should get something from it.
Fyi, they can easily be bought online, and you can even install them yourself (if you know how to use a drill) or call any handyman
Actually (unlike NY) it’s against code in NJ to have window guards that can’t easily be opened.
We once installed them on a house we built and the inspector made us remove them.
In the product details it states that it is not for bedroom windows that are needed to be egress windows.
In other words, if you want to have an escape route in case of fire cv”s or other emergency, you would need to leave one window in the room without the bars
Then what happens if there’s cv a fire? There’s no way of getting out?!
The most important thing to remember is never rely on a window screen for protection. Never leave a window open with kids around, screens do not in any way stop a kid from falling out.
This item says “not for use in bedrooms or other sleeping quarters where alternative emergency exits are not present..”
What happens in an emergency where you need to exit through the window?
I’ve lived in houses with two stories for most of my adult life. I have fire ladders in all the upstairs rooms. My father was a volunteer fireman and we grew up with collapsable ladders in the upstairs rooms and fire drills.
Safety innovations window widgets are great and safe in the event of a fire- available on amazon
From a religious perspective, the Torah has a mitzvah to erect a fence on a roof which people have access to, and it’s not a stretch to extrapolate this concept to any area of danger.
However, even without window guards, children do not usually fall from windows, so this incident should bring to mind the gemara in brachos 5a אם רואה אדם שיסורין באין עליו יפשפש במעשיו
For some reason I cannot post a link, but there is an item on Amazon called Toddleroo by North States Sliding Window and Door Wedge
I installed these on all my upstairs windows a few years ago and they are great.
I would put them on when children are not around so they don’t see how to remove them.
As a zechus for a refuah shelaima b’karov for yehuda leib ben rochel chana, i am distributing for free a laminated bookmark with information on what to keep in mind when saying the beginning words of every brachah (Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech Haolam) taken from the brachos book by Rabbi Ungar (with his permission). Please email me your name and mailing address if you would like to receive one. [email protected] May we hear besoros tovos very soon, b’ezras Hashem.
I did a lot of research years ago when my neighbor fell out the window, and she was brain damaged for life. The issue is that the guard needs to be strong enough that a child can’t remove, but easy enough to remove in case of a fire. The Window Wardens seemed to be the only ones that accomplished both. I use 2 on each window. They can be bought on Amazon, but they are cheaper on Home Depot.
homedepot.com/p/Cardinal-Gates-Window-Warden-4-Pack-2WW-W-C/303612842