Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Launch Initiative to Prevent Pediatric Window Falls
Central Pierce Fire & Rescue (CPFR) is partnering with MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital to raise awareness about pediatric window falls and reduce preventable injuries across Pierce County through education, prevention messaging, and the distribution of free window stops to families who need them.
The partnership is informed by both regional injury data and real experiences from local families, including the Thompson family, whose daughter Madden was seriously injured in a window fall in 2023.
On Memorial Day weekend, the Thompsons were hosting a cookout at their home while their children played upstairs. Madden was in her bedroom, which had a lofted bed positioned near an open window. When she leaned against the window screen to call out to her parents, the screen gave way. She fell from the window while adults were just outside.
First responders transported Madden to Mary Bridge Children’s, where imaging revealed a fractured femur near the hip. She underwent surgery that night, requiring a plate and eight screws, and spent several months recovering, including three months without bearing weight on her leg. She eventually returned to normal activities, but the experience permanently changed how her family thinks about home safety.
“We had talked to our kids about window safety, but we had never shown them how easily a screen can pop out,” said Madden’s father, Ben Thompson, a firefighter with CPFR.
“The day after her injury, we installed window stops throughout our home. Looking back, I wish we had done it the day we moved in.”
According to Mary Bridge Children’s–the state-designated Level II pediatric trauma center for Western Washington — an average of 33 children are treated each year for window fall injuries. More than 25 percent of those cases come from just five zip codes, including 98387, 98374, and 98444, all within the CPFR service area. Most incidents occur during warmer months, when families rely on open windows to cool their homes The Thompson family hopes that by sharing their story, other families will take action before an injury occurs.
“Our message to parents and caregivers is simple,” Ben Thompson said. “Install window stops before your kids even begin to crawl. Kids grow and change so fast. Just do it early so this doesn’t happen to your family.”
Families can learn more about pediatric window fall prevention and available resources at:
www.centralpiercefire.org/window-falls
About Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network
Founded in 1955, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is the state-designated Level II Pediatric Trauma Center for Western Washington. Offering comprehensive care and resources for critically ill and injured children, Mary Bridge Children’s is the only pediatric hospital in Southwest Washington. Mary Bridge Children’s also provides primary, specialty, therapy and urgent care services at its outpatient centers and clinics across the Puget Sound region, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor, Olympia, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Renton, Bonney Lake and Silverdale.
Mary Bridge Children’s is a part of MultiCare Health System, one of the largest community-based, locally governed health systems in Washington state. For more information about Mary Bridge Children’s, visit marybridge.org.