It can happen quickly and quietly: A curious toddler climbs up on some furniture and falls out a window.
Everett Firefighter Rachael Doniger has heard of it happening far too often.
"I know one story where the family was cooking dinner and the food had burned so they opened the window just for a second to let the smoke out of the house and the child fell out of the window that quickly," she said. A record 22 falls occurred in Snohomish County alone last year. Officials believe that number is probably higher because less serious falls are often not reported.
Nationwide, about 5,000 children fall out of windows every year. About a dozen die.
To keep your kids safe firefighters say don't rely on screens. They're actually designed to come out easily in case of a fire. Move furniture, including beds, away from windows.