Halloween Safety

The can­dy is out, dec­o­ra­tions are up, and the kids are all dressed. That can only mean one thing; tonight is Hal­loween. Chil­dren and adults through­out the city will be out trick or treat­ing dressed in their scary best.   It’s a fun-filled event for the entire fam­i­ly to enjoy, whether it includes going trick or treat­ing or attend­ing a cos­tume par­ty.  To make sure the kids have some great fun tonight, here are some quick Hal­loween Safe­ty tips. For trick or treaters:

Trick Or Treat

• While trick or treat­ing, look both ways before cross­ing the street.  Avoid cross­ing in between parked cars as dri­vers may be in those vehi­cles.
• Wear cos­tumes with bright colours or are reflec­tive of light.  This allows for Hal­loween Safe­ty and you to be seen by oth­er pedes­tri­ans and dri­vers in the dark, pre­vent­ing acci­dents from occur­ring.  Also, make sure your cos­tume fits well and does not drag on the ground, pre­vent­ing it from get­ting caught in haz­ards.
• Have an adult inspect all can­dy before con­sum­ing any.  Those with­out wrap­pers or look sus­pi­cious should be thrown in the trash imme­di­ate­ly.
• Whether you’re going in a group, with an adult or by your­self, plan a trick-or-treat route on a well-lit street and share it with your fam­i­ly.  This allows your fam­i­ly to know where you’ll be going and where they can find you in an emer­gency.
• Only accept treats at the door.  Nev­er go inside the home.
• Take a flash­light with you to help light the way for when it gets dark­er

For home­own­ers

• Make sure your front porch is well lit, allow­ing trick-or-treaters to see where they’re going.  Remove any unnec­es­sary objects from the front of the house so that chil­dren can vis­i­bly see your house from the street.
• Be aware of food aller­gies.  Avoid hand­ing out can­dy with peanuts or oth­er food-relat­ed aller­gies.  By doing so, you help to make Hal­loween fun and safe for all kids.
• Be care­ful of some chil­dren when open­ing the front door.  They can some­times hide behind the doors and get hurt.
• Putting out a pump­kin?  Make sure you keep it a good dis­tance from the wall of the house to pre­vent it from start­ing a fire.
• If peo­ple con­tin­ue to ring your door­bell after you’ve turned off your porch light, do not answer the door.  Pro­tect your­self from those try­ing to take advan­tage of a hol­i­day event.

Remem­ber, Hal­loween should be a fun night to spend with kids.  Inform your chil­dren know the rules and safe­ty tips but also remind them to have fun this Hal­loween night.  If you’re a par­ent who’s super­vis­ing a group of trick-or-treaters tonight, use the bud­dy sys­tem and make sure to set up a meet­ing spot just in case any­one gets lost.  Be sure to keep an eye out for strangers and know what time to call it a night.  Have a Hap­py Hal­loween!!!