October Fire Safety

9/23/2019 (Permalink)

Educating our children can ensure they have a safe and fun month of October.

The month of October is nearly upon us which cues us to bring out the spooky decor and pick out costumes for frightful parties to be held for Hallows Eve. We wanted to take a moment to provide some Halloween Fire Safety Tips, retrieved from the National Fire Protection Association website:

• Make safe costume choices: Avoid costumes that are long with fabric that trails (some fabrics are more flammable than others), and ensure that children’s masks have eye openings that they can easily see out of. Provide children with flashlights or glow-sticks to carry with them.
• Decorate safely: Materials such as paper products, cornstalks and dried flowers are highly flammable so it is important to be very aware that these items are not placed near flames, light bulbs and heaters. Instead of candles, opt for battery operated candles or glow-sticks for decorations such as jack-o-lanterns. If you must absolutely use real candles, use extreme caution and ensure that children are watched at all times, that the placement of candles be a good distance from areas where trick-or-treaters will be walking and from anything that could easily burn.
• Plan for emergencies: Keep exits clear of decorations or obstructions so that escape routes may be easily accessed in case of an emergency. Test and ensure that all smoke alarms in the building are working and discuss with your children to look for ways out of the home and have a plan in place in the event of an emergency. Sit down with children and address the importance of staying away from open flames including fun decor such as jack-o-lanterns with real candles in them. Educate them on what to do if their costume catches on fire:  STOP-DROP-AND ROLL. Have them practice this by (1) Stopping immediately, (2) Dropping to the ground, (3) Covering their face with their hands, (4) Rolling over and over to put the flames out.

With these few tips we can ensure that our little monsters have a safe and fun Halloween.