Safety Tips for Trick-or-Treaters

Happy Halloween! Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind while out and about this weekend.

PARENTS
1. Make sure your child eats a good dinner before going out Trick-or-Treating.
2. If you buy a costume, look for one made of flame-retardant material.
3. Make sure you work into your child's OR adult Halloween costume, reflector strips, a FLASHING safety light or the very popular GLOW LIGHT STICKS to make everyone more visible and much safer at night.
4. Teach your child how call 9-1-1 (or your local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost. Remind them that 9-1-1 can be dialed free at any payphone.
5. Let them borrow the FULLY CHARGED family cell phone, with home number ready.
6. Ideally, young children of any age should be accompanied by an adult.
7. If your children go on their own, be sure they wear a watch, preferably one that can be read in the dark.
8. DO NOT allow your children to wear and use rollerblades to go out trick-or-treating. They can trip on the costume, fall because of uneven sidewalks, and crash into other Halloween trick-or-treaters using the crowded sidewalks.
9. Older children should trick-or-treat in groups.
10. Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks like tampering.

HOMEOWNERS
1. Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, garden hoses, dog leashes and low flower pots. These objects can trip the young trick-or-treater.
2. Be sure the path and stairs to your front door are well illuminated and clear of obstacles. Double check ALL the outside lights...!!!
3. Pets get frightened on Halloween. Put them in a kennel tonight, to protect them from cars or inadvertently biting a trick-or-treater.
4. GLOW LIGHT STICKS or battery powered jack-o-lantern light are preferable to real flame candles.
5. If you do use candles, place the carved jack-o-lantern well away from where trick-or-treaters will be walking or standing.
6. NEVER leave any flaming candle unattended.
7. BE PREPARED. Have a FULLY CHARGED fire extinguisher handy, just in case...!


Be safe & have fun!