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The story is true, although it rarely happens.  There was a call made to 911 about a girl trapped in a sofa.  The two 12-year-olds were playing hide and seek at home, and one of the girls tried to hide in a sleeper sofa by getting folded up inside.  When she tried to get out, she couldn’t, so naturally she called for help.  Although the other girl was not strong enough, she was smart enough to dial 911.

Colonial Heights Fire Chief AG Moore received the call, and responded as he wanted to see for himself what the situation was.  It isn’t every day that someone needs help from being stuck in a couch.  When he arrived on the scene, paramedics were already at work.  They managed to free the girl in about two minutes, and she was much better after being out of the sofa.  Click here for the whole story.

Sometimes playing hide and seek can be fun, but there are some places that shouldn’t be used for hiding places.  I learned a new one today.  Another place that isn’t safe would be an old refrigerator or freezer.  We’re often advised when setting out an old refrigerator or freezer, it is best to either chain the door shut or remove the door.  With a vacuum seal that these appliances are equipped with – normally used to keep food and beverages cool and frozen items cold – children can get trapped inside and end up suffocating to death.

Safety for confined spaces appears to be more than just kids’s stuff.  Reports from OSHA showed how deaths can result from being in confined spaces longer than normal.  According to a publication from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, deaths can occur in occupational situations where confined spaces are present, and since they may lack oxygen/air, it is important to make sure such areas are constantly monitored.  Here’s the whole scoop; just click.

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending.  Some cases have not had such a fortunate end.  Let’s be vigilant, and watch out for certain dangers our kids could run into.  We can lovingly advise them not to go to certain places or do things a certain way, and hopefully they will understand that we care, and don’t want anything bad to happen to them.  Kudos to the Colonial Heights Fire Department and Emergency crews for responding quickly and preventing what could have been fatal.  As it is often said, all’s well that ends well.