From: Rick Peters, founder of Safety International
Re: Recall of certain BabyRescue Evacuation Bags
Dear BabyRescue customers,
By now, you may have seen a news release or read the Consumer Product Safety Commission's notice warning of a risk of injury when using one of our products. I would like to apologize for how unsettling this news must be. I'm writing this letter to shed some light on the events leading up to this notice and to introduce our company-initiated1 recall process.
Let me first reaffirm my commitment to your family's safety and to making the highest quality products that will serve you and your loved ones at the time when you need them most. As a veteran firefighter and paramedic, and a father of four, I understand the importance of having reliable equipment on which parents, caregivers, and first responders can depend in an emergency.
Two years ago, an individual filed a complaint with the CPSC after testing a BabyRescue device in a non-emergency situation. The CPSC began an investigation and, since then, we have cooperated openly and in good faith with the CPSC, even though this one test did not follow our product's use instructions and no other complaints had (or have since) been filed.
During this investigation however, and to my dismay, we discovered that certain production runs of the BabyRescue devices, those manufactured after December 2018, were not made according to our specifications. The emergency-grade, nylon stitching used on earlier production runs to connect the device handle to the bag had been replaced by the manufacturer, without our approval, using a cheaper-grade, cotton stitching.
The CPSC and I agreed these bags should be removed from sale and destroyed. The CPSC and I did not agree on every specific term for this recall plan. Nevertheless, I am committed to removing these particular bags from the marketplace and from your home. For more information on our comprehensive steps to recall these bags, please refer here.
In the spirit of openness and freedom of information, anyone who is interested in learning more about Safety International's correspondence and documentation with CPSC may contact me or my team. We will be happy to share more information upon request.
I stand firmly behind the value of our product in your home that allows your family to safely evacuate your babies or young children from upper floors in the event of an emergency. In my thirty-one years in the fire service, I saw too many panicked parents drop their children from a higher story in the hope someone would catch and save them.
I am deeply involved in directing this recall to the best of our ability. This letter is my pledge to place your family's safety first.
Warmly,
Rick Peters
P.S. Given our experience with sub-standard manufacturing by facilities overseas, please be diligent as you consider one of the other baby evacuation bags currently for sale on the market.